


Storm Chasers

by raisedinthunder



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Estrangement, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Reunions, Storm Chasing, Storms, Twister AU, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 06:37:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11845998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raisedinthunder/pseuds/raisedinthunder
Summary: When the worst series of storms on record are predicted to hit Oklahoma, Bucky Barnes drags his entire department out into the field to chase them down. When they're joined by his estranged husband, Steve and his new fiancé it's not just their new tornado warning system that's put to the test. Risking their lives Bucky and Steve go up against mother nature together once more.





	Storm Chasers

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission to the [Stucky Big Bang 2017!](https://thestuckylibrary-bigbang.tumblr.com)
> 
> I'd like to thank my amazing artist [djezdzany](http://drjezdzany.tumblr.com)   
> The incredible art can be found [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11846007)   
>  
> 
> And also [rocksaltandroll](http://rocksaltandroll.tumblr.com) for not only being an incredible beta but also for her constant encouragement.
> 
> This fic came to me when I was listening to Storm Chasers by Kids in Glass Houses. It made me think about the movie Twister and how the story was just so perfect for Stucky.  
> I've been wanting to write it for quite some time and the Big Bang seemed like the perfect opportunity.
> 
> Massive thank you to the mods for organising the whole thing :)

_It was the noise outside that woke him - deep bone rattling growls and the wind pounding against the window; flashes of lightning illuminating the room through the curtains. The lights flickered in the hallway outside: on and off; on and off. He sat up as the door to his room swung open, his heart thundering in his chest as his mother pulled him from a tangle of bedsheets. He clung to her fear rippling through him as they hurried through the house with the wind thundering against the walls harder still. He could’ve sworn the house itself shook. The windows rattled and creaked as they sped by and down the stairs towards the door. He held on tight pressing his face into his mother’s shoulder. The sound of the dog’s bark in the distance made his head shoot up.  
‘Toby!’ he shouted; his voice disappearing in the roar of the wind as front door burst open.  
‘Get him to the shelter now! Come on!’ his father’s voice broke through the growling winds.  
‘Toby!’  
His father pulled them through the door and lead them across the yard. He looked up for the stars but they were gone; extinguished by thick dark clouds. His father’s voice was barely audible as he coaxed them towards the storm shelter. The wind whipped his hair into his face as he looked up: seeing the usually clear skies void of stars terrified him. The dark clouds closing in: closer and closer; slowly smothering him. He clutched his mother even tighter still.  
They reached the storm shelter and his father pried the doors open and ushered them in and down the cold stone steps before slamming the door shut behind him.  
‘Toby! He’s still out there!’  
His father gave his mother a worried look before rushing back to the doors and thrusting them back open, yelling for the dog. Seconds later, Toby hurtled in, rushing towards him.  
‘It’s okay Toby,’ he said as his mother finally let go of him and he threw his arms around the dog’s neck.  
His father slammed the door shut, sliding the bolt into place. It rattled loudly as his mother lit the oil lamp in the corner. They all watched the door as it shook.  
The wind.  
The wind was so loud and so strong. His heart was pounding, thundering deep in his chest as he stood transfixed on the shaking door. The dog began barking again as the door rattled and shook even more. It was like there was someone out there, desperate to get inside; pulling and rattling the door harder and harder. His father stumbled up the steps to the door, taking hold of the handle.  
‘Keep him back!’ he yelled to them.  
His mother tucked him behind her legs; the dog still barking as the door shook harder. The growling outside louder and louder; the sky outside flashing and the wind roaring like a freight train charging by.  
The door.  
His father was holding it so tight. It was jolting so hard the hinges creaked.  
The door…  
‘I can’t hold it much longer!’  
His father clung harder to the struggling door; the monster outside fighting with all its might to pull it open. It was a vicious battle: the flashes of light through the cracks around the door seemed to illuminate the scene. He couldn’t pry his eyes away as the door shuddered one last time. His father looked back at them, terror in his eyes as he held on with all his strength. A loud crack and the door lurched free pulling his father with it. The roaring outside filled the room; his mother’s screams drowned by the sound.  
‘Daddy!’  
He rushed forward; desperate to reach him; to pull him back… _  
   
Bucky woke with a start. He sat up pulling himself free of the tangle of sheets, his skin slick with sweat. His heart was pounding in his chest; that old thunderous drum-beat pounding away deep inside him. He closed his eyes willing his heart and breathing to slow. His room was dark; a single shard of light shone across the bed from the crack in the curtains. Bucky took another deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair and reached over for the thing that had thrust him back into the waking world. His phone sat now silent on his nightstand.  
1 missed call.  
1 voicemail received.  
Bucky fumbled with it as he dialled the voicemail number, his heart rate still a little heightened from the dream.  
You have one new message:  
_‘Barnes, it’s Natasha. Get your ass out of bed! All the models are forecasting lifted indexes from minus six to minus ten - they’re predicting a record breakout! It’s happening!’_  
Bucky sat stunned for a moment before replaying the message. It was happening. His heart hammered in his chest for a very different reason now. It was finally happening: the chance they’d been waiting for. They needed to get out there now.  
He scrambled out of bed, quickly shooting off a text message to Natasha telling her to call everyone in before heading for the shower. Twenty minutes later he was in the kitchen dressed, hair still wet and soaking into the back of his shirt as he started up the coffee machine. He grabbed his notes from where they were scattered on the kitchen table and shoved them into his bag that sat waiting by the door for a day like this. The day he’d been waiting for.  
The coffee machine beeped.  
Zipping the bag up he hurried back to the coffee machine, poured himself a cup and took a sip; leaning against the counter and willing the caffeine to hit home instantly. He took few minutes just to savour that moment; the quiet and calm. It was gonna be a long day.  
   
———  
   
Miles of open fields spread out on either side of the dirt road they sped down; nothing in sight for miles but the odd oil drill or farm hut. The monotonous drone of a crop dusting plane flying overhead made Steve smile ever so slightly. It was a different world out here; so open and inviting and quite the opposite of the closed-in city they’d left behind. Steve had forgotten how much he loved being on the road; getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life. He always felt so free out here; no responsibilities or pressure; just the open road.  
The radio crackled as they dipped out of range. He reached over and fiddled with the dial until it rang clear again.  
_‘It’s 7:00 a.m. in Oklahoma City: the temperature is 75 degrees. Across the state, skies are partly cloudy, the dryline higher over western Oklahoma. Satellite pictures indicate thunderstorms developing........’_  
‘You sure he’s gonna be there?’ Melissa asked pulling Steve out of his daze.  
He briefly turned his eyes from the dusty road to smile at the dark-haired woman in the passenger seat.  
‘If I know Bucky he’s already got his entire department out in the field. Hell, it’s to be expected on a day like this.’ Steve told her.  
‘You’re nervous about seeing him?’  
‘What?’ Steve exclaimed; his voice sounding higher than he’d meant it to. ‘No, of course not!’ He stared at the road ahead; aware of Melissa’s brown eyes still watching him. ‘Do I look nervous?’  
She shrugged.  
‘Well, yeah a bit.’  
Steve shifted in his seat and gripped the steering wheel a little harder.  
‘I just wanna get it over with.’  
‘But he said he signed the papers right?’ Melissa asked, unsure.  
‘That’s what he said.’  
‘You don’t think so?’  
Steve paused for a second.  
‘No, of course he has. It’ll be fine. We’ll go get the papers and be back on the road and home soon enough.’ Steve said with what he hoped was an assuring smile. He reached over placing his hand on her knee and giving it a light squeeze. ‘Everything will be just fine.’  
Truth be told, Steve was nervous about seeing Bucky again. It had been almost three years since they’d last been face to face and the thought of seeing him again had Steve’s stomach in knots. But it had to be done and the sooner they got it over with, the better. He watched as the crop duster disappeared out of sight up ahead; the clouds already turning darker. It was going to be a long day.  
   
———  
   
The sun was warm on the back of his neck as Bucky stood atop the van waiting for T’Challa to fix whatever the hell was wrong with the Doppler this time; the breeze blowing his hair across his face, once again leaving him contemplating cutting it short again. Instead he tucked it behind his ears and made a mental note to hunt down a hair tie. He looked out across the open fields -the clouds in the distance were growing darker by the hour; rolling thick and heavy with the threat of the impending storm. The series of storms the NSSL had predicted had the potential to be the worst seen in over a decade. He was itching to get back on the road; for something to flare up and give them the chance they’d been waiting for; to finally put everything they’d been working on to the test.  
As he gazed out over the wheat fields his mind drifted to the email sat in his inbox as his eyes raked the skyline; the email that had made his stomach churn as he’d read it. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, really. What had he expected? That the divorce papers that had landed through his letter box all those months ago would just remain unreturned? That it wouldn’t actually happen? Maybe a naive part of him still hoped they would get back together but obviously Steve hadn’t had the same sentiment. Bucky knew he had moved on with his life, not hanging onto the past like he was. It had been almost three years after all but that didn’t make him feel any better about it.  
A loud bang on the van roof brought Bucky out of his reverie.  
‘Okay I think I’ve got it fixed.’ T’Challa shouted from inside the van. Bucky turned on the Doppler radar dish. It moved a slightly before letting out a loud whining noise, followed by sparks erupting out of it.  
‘Fuck! This thing is useless!’ Bucky yelled stumbling back.  
‘Sorry, Bucky!’ T’Challa’s voice replied from within the van.  
‘Wait! No it’s working!’ Bucky shot back banging his foot on the van roof as the dish suddenly hummed back into life, thankfully sans sparks this time. ‘Give me a reading.’  
‘Okay, okay give me a minute.’ T’Challa replied clambering out of the van and moving over to the laptop connected to the Doppler, sitting precariously on a stack of equipment.  
‘Which way do you want it?’ he asked, punching figures into the laptop.  
‘It looks like the dryline has stalled. Give me a sector scan west, northwest; look at mid-levels for rotation, and increase the PRF.’ Bucky said, stepping back again as the Doppler creaked into place.  
On the far side of the lot Clint turned up the volume on his TV; music pumping loudly through the outside speakers on his camper.  
‘All I’m saying is don’t fold the maps!’ Wanda said as she stormed by; her brother hot on her heels.  
‘I didn’t fold the map!’ Pietro called after her.  
‘Yeah, well Kansas is a mess, there's a big crease right through Wichita!’ Wanda replied; stopping and turning to him. Demonstrating on the map she had in her hand she added, ‘roll the maps!’  
Clint laughed, watching them as they started moving again, heading back to their van. The two of them were constantly berating each other the only way siblings could.  
The crunching of tires on gravel pulled his attention away from the bickering twins; his eyes landing on a bright red truck pulling into the lot.  
He shielded his eyes with his hand, squinting across at the approaching truck before breaking into a grin.  
‘Guys! Look who it is!’ Clint yelled, walking over as the truck pulled to a stop.  
Everyone stopped to look up.  
‘Steve?!’ Wanda said; following Clint over to where Steve was climbing out of his truck.  
He grinned, a little unsure of himself around a team he used to know so well. They’d all been family once, but it had been so long since Steve had seen any of them. He hadn’t known whether to expect a warm welcome from the people he’d walked away from.  
‘Hey guys,’ he murmured.  
‘Captain America has returned!’ Clint bellowed before pulling Steve into hug.  
‘Oh man don’t start that shit again.’ Steve said, laughing.  
‘How ya doin’, man?’ Clint asked.  
‘Good. Yeah…good,’ Steve replied with a smile.  
Melissa cautiously rounded the car like a wild animal; crisp and clean and all in white; nervously watching Steve as he talked to these strangers that were covered in dust and dressed like children who had no parental supervision. She looked so out of place beside his own team.  
‘Barton, I’d like you to meet Melissa.’ Steve said; coaxing her over. ‘Melissa, this is Clint Barton. Barton here’s been chasing with us since the very beginning.’  
Clint grasped Melissa’s hand with enthusiasm.  
‘Good to meet you.’  
She managed a strained smile which was more of a wince. Melissa looked so uncomfortable here and Steve knew he had to get this over with, quickly.  
‘Listen, man,’ he said, turning back to Clint. ‘Where’s Bucky?’  
‘Over by the Doppler. Broken down again and with the grant money running out… well they’re giving it some of the old DIY treatment,’ Clint told him.  
‘Honey why don’t you hang here a little while I… I’ll be right back.’ Steve said nodding at Clint.  
‘Okay.’ Melissa replied, giving Clint a tentative look.  
‘Barton, why don’t you explain to Melissa why you are…the way you are.’ Steve said with a grin at Clint. Clint hooked an arm around Melissa’s shoulders with a laugh and a wink towards Steve as he walked off.  
As Steve made his way over to the Doppler he was greeted by various members of the old crew; Pietro yelling a hello from their van. It was strange seeing them all again. So much time had passed and yet they hadn’t changed a bit.  
‘The prodigal son returns!’ Scott called out; attempting and failing a wave with his arms heavily laden with cables. Steve just rolled his eyes at him and kept moving.  
‘Hey Steve. Good to see you back.’ Sharon called out as he passed.  
‘I’m not back.’ Steve tried to tell her, but her attention was already back on her work.  
Steve smiled to himself as he saw a very familiar figure up ahead. His hip resting against the front of his truck, a clipboard resting on the hood, Sam Wilson’s attention was fully engrossed in the data he was scribbling down.  
‘Hey Sam.’ Steve said, patting the shoulder of his old friend as he passed by. Sam’s head shot up in shock; the instrument in his other hand swaying haphazardly.  
‘Hey Steve,’ he said, looking over at him with a face full of confusion.  
‘I’ll come back shortly.’ Steve assured him. Obviously Bucky hadn’t bothered telling anyone he was coming out.  
Steve could see Bucky now. He was stood atop a van beside the Doppler satellite; a tall silhouette against the greying sky. Steve slowed his footsteps, knowing full well it was pointless to try and slow the inevitable, but attempting it anyway.  
‘Hey Buck.’  
Bucky stood up straight at the sound of his name. He hadn’t really changed a bit: his hair was longer and the once clunky prosthetic on his left arm had been replaced by a sleek new model, but everything else was the same.  
He flashed Steve a disarming smile as he turned to face him.  
‘Steve. Glad you could find us.’ Bucky replied, not the least bit surprised to see him.  
Unlike the rest of the team.  
‘How’s things?’  
‘Good.’ Bucky said; looking at Steve then up at the sky. ‘You seen the sky today?’  
Steve’s eyes followed Bucky’s gaze.  
‘Yeah, she’s uh- really talkin’.’  
Bucky shot him an annoyed look before tossing him a lead.  
‘Catch,’ he said; barely giving Steve a heads up before jumping down from the roof. ‘It’s the biggest series of storms in the last twelve years,’ he continued. ‘One lined up right after another. And NSSL says they've never seen anything like it.’  
Bucky took lead from him and hooked it up to a reader.  
‘Is that right.’ Steve said, uninterested. He didn’t really want to get pulled in - he just wanted to get this over with. ‘So Bucky, about the divorce papers..’  
‘Hey Barnes, come and look at this!’ a voice from the next van called out.  
‘Oops, sorry!’ Bucky said, not sounding sorry at all as he walked away. Steve followed, annoyed at Bucky blatantly ignoring him.  
Peter Parker was stood, his camera clutched in his hands as always. He was a lot more grown up since the last time Steve had seen him. Then he’d been a gangly teenager fresh out of high school. Now he had the look of a gangly college student.  
‘Hey, uh this thing is acting up again.’ Peter told Bucky showing him the camera. Taking it from him Bucky looked at it closely.  
‘Focus mount's jammed. There's grass in the auto-focus, did you check this? You have to check it.’ Bucky said blowing the grass out. Peter muttered a sheepish no and took the camera back from Bucky.  
‘I'll check it. You want me to clean it out?’  
‘Not unless you want to sketch the tornadoes, pal.’ Bucky replied before walking back towards the laptop.  
‘Hey welcome back Cap.’ Peter added as Steve followed Bucky.  
‘I’m not back.’ Steve insisted.  
Bucky was back to wiring up the laptop. He didn’t even look at Steve as he spoke.  
‘So you want the papers?’  
‘I did drive all the way out here for them.’  
‘They're signed and ready.’  
‘Good, good. Let's see them.’  
‘What, you need 'em right this second?’ Bucky asked; finally looking up at Steve.  
‘Well, it'd be nice.’  
Bucky laughed.  
‘What's the urgent urgency, you act like you're getting married..’  
‘I am.’ Steve said.  
Bucky stopped dead and for a second, Steve could swear he could see pain flash across Bucky’s face before his expression smoothed out again.  
‘Wow,’ murmured Bucky.  
‘Yeah.’  
Tucking his hair behind his ear again, Bucky made for his truck.  
‘Is it Melinda?’  
‘Melissa.’ Steve corrected.  
‘Melissa…wasn’t there a Melinda in there somewhere?’  
‘No, there's only been Melissa since you.’  
‘Boy, not much for browsing, are you?’ Bucky quipped, reaching into the glove compartment of the truck and pulling out the divorce papers.  
‘No, I guess I'm not.’  
Climbing back out of the truck Bucky held out the papers to Steve.  
‘Well there you go,’ he said; a forced smile on his face. Steve felt awful as he took them and watched Bucky quickly walk back to the laptop; purposely busying himself with it.  
Steve watched Bucky for a minute before putting his attention back on the papers in his hand. Ignoring the guilt gnawing at his insides, he flicked through each page, making sure everything was in fact signed.  
‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. You missed one.’ Steve said as he reached the final page.  
‘What?’ Bucky said feigning surprise.  
Steve knew him too well.  
‘Right here,’ he said, showing Bucky the last page.  
Bucky took the papers from him,acting as though he’s never seen that part before. Steve couldn’t help thinking he purposely didn't sign the last page. Maybe it was to keep him around longer or to keep the divorce from being final; Steve wasn't sure. Bucky hadn’t seemed bothered about the whole thing when they’d spoke the week before, though it had been through email and it’s not like you can really read a person that way. Maybe it had just been an accident and Steve was reading too much into it.  
‘Where’d this come from?’ Bucky said with a laugh as sauntered back over to his truck. Resting the papers on the hood he began reading.  
‘What are you doing?’ Steve asked.  
‘Can I read it first?’  
‘No! It's the same as it was in December,’ Steve retorted.  
‘I didn't read it in December,’ Bucky said with a smirk.  
‘Christ, would you just sign it so we can get out of here? Please?’ Steve said; his patience beginning to wear thing.  
‘We? She's here?’ Bucky said, looking up with surprise.  
‘Yes, she's here - she's over with Barton. Now would you please sign the document?’  
‘You left her with Clint? What's the matter with you?’ Bucky said, rolling his eyes at Steve. Leaving the papers the hood, Bucky headed off.  
‘What are you doing?’ Steve stammered, following him.  
‘I want to meet her.’  
‘No, you don’t,' Steve replied; then stopped, realising the papers had been left behind. Hurrying, he ran back and grabbed them before chasing after Bucky.

 

As Bucky walked, he pulled his wedding band off his ring finger and slipped it onto his other hand. Annoyance riled up inside him - Steve had actually brought her with him; this new woman. He could see her up ahead, sat under a beach umbrella beside Clint’s camper; Clint no doubt talking her ear off. She was small; dark curly hair; pretty.  
Bucky forced a bright smile onto his face as he reached them.  
‘The suck zone,” Clint was dramatically explaining, ‘it’s the point, basically at which the twister sucks you up. It's not that technical term obviously, but…’  
‘Hi,’ Bucky interrupted, ‘you must be Melissa.’ He held out his hand. ‘Bucky Barnes.’  
‘Oh, hello. Nice to meet you.’ Melissa said, stumbling up and taking Bucky’s hand.  
‘Steve just told me the happy news.’  
‘Which?’  
‘Us. Marriage.’ Steve said, catching up with them.  
He looked disgruntled.  
‘It's happy news.’  
Bucky could hear the falseness in his own voice.  
‘I guess, uh, it probably seems kind of sudden,’ Melissa replied.  
‘Seems sudden?’ Bucky repeated.  
‘Dude, you takin' the vows? That's sweet!’ Clint interjected clapping Steve on the back.  
‘Well, we just wanted to get it done before Steve started his new job,’ Melissa told them.  
‘That’s right, that's right. Weatherman!’ Bucky said, turning to face Steve.  
‘What?’ Steve asked.  
‘What?’ Bucky repeated innocently.  
‘Say it.’  
‘I said weatherman, I think it's great.’  
‘How come you had that tone?’  
‘There was no tone!’ Bucky insisted. ‘If you have a problem being a weatherman…’  
Steve bristled.  
‘I don't have a problem being a weatherman,’ he spat back defensively.  
It took all his strength for Bucky not to roll his eyes and goad Steve more. Just as it always had been, it was way too easy and too much fun to get Steve all bent out of shape.  
Thankfully, Melissa’s phone chose to ring at that moment; cutting through the tension that had started to build. She rummaged through her purse, mumbling an apology.  
‘Excuse me,’ she said, stepping away. ‘Dr. Melissa Reeves here? Uh-huh?’  
‘Just wanted to say hello,’ Bucky called to her. ‘Very nice to meet you, Melissa.’  
Yes, you too.’ Melissa called back.  
Bucky turned away as Melissa mouthed to Steve about the papers; the phone still clutched to her ear.  
‘Shit, no,’ Bucky heard Steve mumble as he walked away.  
Bucky ended up over by Steve’s truck. He hadn’t expected the forceful wave of jealousy that had hit him upon seeing Melissa. While she had seemed nice enough, it had made Bucky feel sick to the stomach.  
‘New truck?’ he asked as heard Steve walk up beside him.  
‘That's right.’  
‘Wow. New job, new truck, new wife… It's like a whole new you!’ Bucky said his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
Steve looked at him but Bucky couldn’t quite read the expression on his face.  
‘Buck...’  
‘Well, this is all very awkward,’ Bucky said with a forced laugh. Running his hand through his hair again, he turned away looking out over the fields once more.  
‘I know, tell me about it.’ Steve said with a sigh.  
‘I thought you'd be coming out here alone,’ Bucky said, quietly.  
‘I wasn't expecting on coming out here at all! You said you’d meet me…’  
’It's about Dorothy,’ Bucky cut in.  
He could feel Steve’s gaze sharpen.  
They’d initially planned to meet in the city - a quick hand over of the papers. Bucky had tried to sound dismissive of the whole thing in his emails. He’d put it off a couple of times and then the news about the storm series had came in. Bucky had toyed with it before sending Steve the email asking to meet him out here. Steve had been reluctant at first, but Bucky persuaded him; insisting he wouldn’t have another chance for a while. In reality, he had wanted to show Steve what they’d done; what they’d achieved. He thought if he could get Steve out here; showed him what they’d done, then maybe he could’ve persuaded him to come along; to see it through to the end with them. Maybe a little part of him was hoping those papers would never get handed over.  
‘Dorothy? What about her?’ Steve asked.  
‘She's here,’ Bucky said looking at him again.  
‘Show me.’  
   
———  
   
Bucky led him back over to his own truck; the beat up old thing covered in dust and dirt. Bucky pulled off the burlap covering Dorothy and Steve stared in awe at the device. What looked like a medium sized oil drum sat in the truck bed; the clean metal gleaming in the sunlight.  
‘I can't believe you did it.’ Steve said at last.  
‘We built four of ‘em.’  
‘Does she work?’ Steve asked, excitedly.  
Bucky just grinned and lowered the tailgate. Steve immediately jumped up to inspect the device.  
‘I thought you'd want to be here for her first time out. It wouldn't be right if you weren't here.’ Bucky said; watching as Steve looked over every inch of the device.  
‘This is gonna be good,’ Bucky heard Sam’s voice say.  
He turned to see the rest of the team approaching; Clint and Melissa included.  
‘How sweet is that? Steve’s concept man. Boom! The Captain at the helm! Man, that thing came from his brain.’ Clint said, pointing to Dorothy and Steve.  
‘I had a hand in it.’ Steve replied awkwardly. ‘It was Bucky too.’  
‘Wow, it is great.’ Melissa said. ‘What is it?’  
‘It's an instrument pack for studying tornadoes – the first one in history,’ Steve told her.  
‘It's very exciting. Scientists have been studying tornadoes forever, but still, nobody knows how a tornado really works. We have no idea what's going on inside because no one's ever been able to take scientific measurements from inside the funnel. That's what she's gonna do,’ Bucky said climbing up onto the truck bed beside Steve.  
Melissa frowned, confused.  
‘How?’  
‘We put her up inside a tornado. She opens up,’ Bucky explained hitting a button on the side.  
The lid of the pack opened up, swinging up and almost hitting Steve in the face, but he didn’t even seem to notice. His face was full of excitement. Bucky grinned at him before continuing.  
‘It releases hundreds of these sensors,’ He said handing one of the many sensors down to Melissa, ‘that measure all parts of the tornado simultaneously.’  
‘You see, Melissa, it's like this,’ Steve continued; feeling suddenly more excited and animated than he had in years. ‘These sensors go up the funnel and radio back information about the internal structure, wind velocities, flow, asymmetry. We could learn more in 30 seconds than we have in the past 30 years. Get a profile of a tornado for the first time.’  
‘And what will that do?’ Melissa asked as she looked at the orb in her hand.  
It was made of plastic; a tiny sensor trapped inside. Bucky and Steve had spent years working on them. It had all came from an idea their old college professor Dr Erskine had had - the idea that they needed something that would be able to go up into a tornado itself to get proper readings. The original idea had been tossed around for years but no one ever managed to create something that would make it a reality until now.  
‘If we knew how a tornado really worked, we could design an advance warning system,’ Steve said.  
‘Aren't there already tornado warnings?’ Melissa asked; looking up at Steve.  
‘Well they…’  
‘They're not good enough! They're nowhere near good enough. Right now, it's 3 minutes. If we can get this new information, we can increase warning time to 15 minutes,’ Bucky interjected; ignoring the look Steve had shot in his direction. He knew that look all too well and it wasn’t something he wanted to think about right now.  
‘It’ll give people a chance to get to safety. At least that's what these guys are trying to do!’ Steve said, acknowledging the team.  
The team erupted into yells and cheers as Steve climbed down; Bucky close behind him.  
‘I can't believe you actually did it,’ Steve said, turning to him; a look of admiration on his face.  
‘Well, we did it,’ Bucky said referring to the team.  
‘Stop being modest Barnes, it’s not like you.’ Sam joked.  
Bucky attempted a glare at him but Sam just laughed.  
‘How do you get it in the tornado?’ Melissa asked, handing the sensor back to Steve who reached up and dropped it back into the pack.  
‘Well, you got to get in front of the tornado and put it in the damage path…and then get out again before it picks you up too,’ Steve explained.  
Melissa gaped at him, concern etched across her face.  
‘It’s the suck zone!’ Clint whispered into Melissa’s ear, startling her.  
Bucky laughed as Melissa jumped.  
Suddenly Bucky’s eye was caught by a flash of red hair. Natasha was hurrying over; her phone still at her ear.  
‘Excellent!’ she said before hanging up and beaming at Bucky.  
‘What is it?’ Bucky asked.  
‘We’ve got major action! The NSSL says the caps are breaking, the tower's going up to 30 miles up the dryline!’  
Bucky looked up at the sky, pausing for a second letting his mind focus before slamming the tailgate shut.  
‘All right let’s go!’ he said.  
‘All right, we're movin’!’ Clint cried out, excitedly.  
The team scrambled to get everything packed up, tripping up on cables and almost colliding with each other as they all hurried to get everything back into the vans and trucks.  
Steve stood aside with Melissa, watching as they moved in unison. He always marvelled at the speed they could pull everything back together whenever the moment struck to move.  
‘Pietro, you're up. Let's go, let's go. Hurry up, we haven't got all day, let's go!’ Wanda yelled to her brother as he threw things into the back of their van.  
‘Wilson, Romanoff, a little help?’ T’Challa shouted heaving the Doppler to the side of the van.  
‘Yes, sir! Right behind you,’ Sam called up to him with a smirk as he and Natasha rushed over to help T’Challa lift the Doppler back into the van.  
Clint was haphazardly tossing his beach stuff into his camper, music still blaring loudly out of the speakers.  
‘Where is it? There it is!’ someone else called hurrying past.  
‘C’mon Barton, you're always the last one to go!’ Natasha called out to him as she checked the stuff loaded in the back of her van.  
‘Parker, don't forget the camera!’ Bucky yelled.  
‘I got it, I got it!’  
Steve watched as Peter ran passed, his camera clutched in his hands.  
‘They can handle this - they know what they're doing. I mean, well, this is what they do; they live for this.’ Steve told Melissa as they walked back to their own truck. people still rushing about yelling to one another.  
‘Uh huh.’  
‘Dorothy 2 and 3 ready!’ Natasha yelled slamming the door of her van shut and hurrying up to the driver’s seat.  
‘Dorothy 4, ready!’ Sharon added.  
‘Barton, hurry up!’  
Another door slammed shut.  
‘Are you sure you don't want to go along?’ Melissa asked.  
Steve’s attention was mostly still on the team as they packed up the last few things. He barely even heard her speak.  
‘No. Oh, with them you mean?’  
‘Well, yeah.’  
‘No, they'll be fine,’ Steve told her.  
Everyone was packed up and ready to go now. Bucky drove out in front honking his horn as he passed Steve and Melissa.  
‘Did he sign the papers?’ Melissa asked as Steve watched them all drive by.  
‘Oh, shit!’ Steve cried; suddenly realising that no, Bucky had still not signed the last page.  
‘He didn’t?'  
‘Come on, if we hurry we can still catch them!’ Steve said as he broke into a run towards their truck. As Melissa pulled on her seatbelt and Steve started the engine, Scott’s truck passed ahead of them.  
‘HEY CAP! GLAD YOU'RE BACK!’ he yelled out his window to Steve.  
‘I'M NOT BACK!’

———

The radio crackled into life as the crew relayed information back and forth to each other. Bucky pressed his head into the headrest; his whole body seemed to be humming with the excitement of the chase and the rush he’d felt upon seeing Steve again.  
Steve.  
Bucky had seen his truck pull out of the lot behind them; could see flashes of shiny red in his rear view mirror as he followed their procession. Bucky still couldn’t get over the way his stomach had swooped upon seeing Steve again. It had been three years and he still had that effect on Bucky; still made his heart skip a beat. Bucky hadn’t been expecting it. Not like that.  
Steve in all his glory had been a sight to behold: tall and strong with sky blue eyes and golden hair. He was still the most beautiful person Bucky had ever laid eyes on. He always had been, even back when they’d first met in the summer before freshman year of college. Steve had been shorter and skinny as hell back then. Bucky remembered how they’d literally run into each other in a truck stop. Steve had spilled coffee all over Bucky but he hadn’t cared one bit. Bucky had fallen in love with him that summer; it had been fate that they’d ended up at the same college; in the same class. It had been a hard and fast love; getting married in a dingy registry office with only Natasha and Sam as witnesses before heading straight back on the road.  
Seeing Steve again today had brought all those feelings back to the surface. Bucky had hoped that in time he'd get over Steve Rogers. Apparently that was never going to be the case.  
What made it worse was that Steve had gotten over Bucky; had moved on.  
When Steve had sent the divorce papers it hadn’t even occurred to Bucky that it was so he could marry someone else; that he would bring that someone else out here with him.  
Bucky couldn’t even be mad about it. They’d been separated for so long and Melissa had seemed nice enough.  
It just hurt so much. It hurt to the core that Steve was happy with someone else.  
That he didn’t love Bucky anymore.  
Bucky forced himself to focus back on the world around him. Grabbing the radio he opened the channel.  
‘Wanda!’  
‘Yeah boss?’ she replied instantly.  
‘Can we do better than the 30?’ Bucky asked.  
He heard the rustling of paper over the radio - the maps.  
‘No. Not for a while. It's best to stay on it until we pass Rogers creek,’ she told him.  
‘Copy that,’ Bucky said, returning the radio to its holder and pressing down on the accelerator. He’d just have to keep his mind on the task at hand - catching up with this break out. He didn’t have time to obsess over Steve Rogers.  
   
   
‘Once we catch up with them, you take the truck and head home. I'll get the papers signed and see you tonight. Okay?’ Steve said as they followed behind the procession of trucks and vans.  
‘No! You know what honey? I find this kind of interesting. I'm gonna tag along.’ Melissa said smiling over at him.  
Steve wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. Things could get sort of wild on the road and while he’d told her about his chasing days, they hadn’t gone into much detail over it. She seemed so eager though, he didn’t have it in him to say anything to dishearten her.  
Steve just smiled at her and focussed on the road ahead. When he saw six black Windstar vans pulling up beside them his attention wavered. The vans streamed by, overtaking them; a familiar face sent anger rippling through him.  
‘Rumlow!’ Steve snarled as the van passed by.  
Rumlow stared at him as they went.  
‘Who’s that honey?’ Melissa asked as Steve grabbed for the radio.  
‘Brock Rumlow. He's a nightcrawler. We all started out in the same lab, but Rumlow went out and got himself some corporate sponsors. He's in it for the money, not the science. He's got a lot of high-tech gadgets, but he's got no instincts…and he doesn't have Dorothy.’ Steve explained as he watched Rumlow’s van drive ahead.  
‘I think we’ve got fleas,’ Natasha’s voice said over the radio.  
‘Buck!’ Steve almost shouted into the handset.  
A second went by before he heard Bucky’s cheerful response.  
‘Hey, you change your mind?’ Bucky answered.  
‘What’s Rumlow doing here?’  
‘I'm not sure,’ Bucky replied carefully as the caravan of sleek black Windstars overtook them. ‘But I bet he's asking himself the same question about you.’  
Steve eyes followed Rumlow’s van as it passed Bucky up ahead, glancing out the side window just in time to see another of Rumlow’s team swerve towards him; driving them off the road.  
‘Shit! Hold on,’ Steve said slamming the breaks on. It was too late. He heard the pop of the tire before they ground to a shuddering halt.  
   
   
Bucky tucked a stray hair behind his ear as he looked over the map spread across his the hood of his truck. He glanced over at the sound of Steve’s voice.  
‘How long do you think it'll take to fix?’ Steve asked as he passed the flat tire over to the mechanic.  
‘Oh, maybe 10 minutes? 15, tops.’  
‘Sounds good.’  
Bucky watched as Steve ran his hands through his hair and watched the mechanic wheel his flat tire away. They had pulled up into the rest stop ten minutes ago. Rumlow’s crew had already set up camp. It wasn’t the best place to be. If it had been up to him they would’ve found the next rest stop. Friction between the two crews was at an all time high and Rumlow’s buddies driving Steve off the road hadn’t helped.  
Bucky had never liked Brock Rumlow. Throughout the years he’d always been there trying to get in on their action. Bucky knew he had some seedy businessman by the name of Pierce pay rolling his efforts. All the money in the world couldn’t give him the natural instincts they had though - something that Rumlow knew all to well.  
The rest of his crew were grabbing coffees from the little cafe beside the garage. Bucky could see Steve’s fiancée walking over to him. A ripple of jealousy shot through him and he turned back to the map but the sound of another voice pulled Bucky’s attention. He looked over to where Rumlow was stood surround by a news crew; his voice loud as he spoke.  
‘What drives me is the unknown,’ he was saying to a reporter. ‘What if we could predict a tornado's path? How many lives would be spared with the creation of an early warning system?’  
He motioned to a device beside him.  
Bucky turned to see Steve storming over; realisation and anger all over his face. He glared at Bucky as he passed.  
‘Steve…’  
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Steve growled at him.  
Bucky had been hoping to avoid this. With a sigh he rolled up the map, shoved it into the truck, and ran after Steve.  
‘…And D.O.T. 3 is the answer - the first Digital Orthographic Telemeter, and inside she holds hundreds of these little sensors,’ Rumlow said as he held up one of the sensors; remarkably similar to Dorothy’s own, ‘which when released into the tornado, will transmit back data on wind speed, pressure, and dew point temperature.’  
Steve surged forward, grabbing Rumlow by the collar and shoving him against his van.  
‘Hey, hey!’ Rumlow cried.  
‘You stole my design, you son of a bitch! What you think, I wasn't gonna find out about this?’ Steve snarled.  
‘Can someone get this idiot off me?’ Rumlow spat.  
Clint and Sam rushed forward, pulling Steve off Rumlow.  
‘Come on! Come on! He's not worth it!’ Sam said, holding Steve back.  
‘What is the matter with you?’ Rumlow said to Steve as he brushed himself down.  
Steve was furious; face red and chest heaving as he struggled against Sam’s hold on him; itching to get back to Rumlow and land a punch square in the middle of that smug face.  
‘You stole my design!’  
By this time, the whole team had crowded around, facing off against Rumlow’s cronies and watched by the news crew.  
‘Calm down Cap!’ Clint interjected.  
‘What the hell you talkin' about?’ asked Rumlow, feigning innocence .  
‘Dorothy! You took her, you damn thief!’ Steve spat back.  
Rumlow laughed, a smug grin spreading on his face.  
‘Oh I get it. You want to take credit for my design. Is that it?’ he said.  
Steve surged forward, only to have Clint’s grip added to Sam’s; keeping him back.  
‘You're a liar. She was our idea and you know it.’  
‘Unrealized idea. Unrealized.’ Rumlow added, flicking the lid closed on his device.  
‘That ain't worth shit!’ Steve said, breaking free from Sam and Clint’s grip to charge at Rumlow again. Bucky stepped in then; grabbing Steve and stopping him from pummelling Rumlow into the ground.  
‘Hey! That’s enough! Get a grip on yourselves,’ Bucky said, standing between them. He glanced over at Rumlow. ‘We both know he'll never get that thing up in the air.’  
‘Damn right.’ Pietro chimed.  
Rumlow’s arrogant smile turned smug as he spread his hands wide and raised his voice so everyone in the vicinity could hear.  
‘Well let me enlighten you people! This baby has satellite comlink. We've got on-board pulse Doppler, we've got NEXRAD real time. Today, we're gonna make history.’ Rumlow announced.  
Bucky gave him an unimpressed look.  
‘So stick around,’ Rumlow added. ‘Cuz' the days of sniffin' the dirt are over.’  
‘Better than what you sniff,’ Clint added, sending the rest of Bucky’s crew into laughter.  
‘We'll see who gets their first, pal,’ Steve said, allowing Bucky to direct him away.  
Rumlow wasn’t quite finished taunting him, though.  
‘Oh, and by the way, I really enjoy your weather reports!’ he called out after Steve.  
Steve turned on his heel so quickly Bucky couldn’t grab him.  
‘Steve!’ Bucky yelled as he charged at Rumlow.  
Thankfully Sam, Clint and Pietro were there to pull him back as Rumlow and his team laughed.  
‘You asshole! I ain't through with you yet! Come on! Come here! Come on! Come on! Get your hands off me!’ Steve yelled struggling against his friends.  
Bucky looked at him. Steve caught his eye and held up his hands.  
‘Okay! Okay, I’m good!’ Steve said accepting defeat.  
Slowly Sam, Clint and Pietro let go.  
‘He's a corporate kiss-ass.’ Sam said, clapping Steve on the shoulder as they walked away. Steve was still reeling. Bucky could almost feel the anger permeating from him.  
‘I’m sorry. I should have told you.’ Bucky said falling into step beside Steve.  
Steve stopped and turned to face him.  
‘One day. I’ll give you one day. Whether she flies or not I’m gone,’ Steve said.  
‘Honey are you okay?!’  
Bucky was brushed to the side as Melissa hurried forward to Steve.  
‘I’m okay. Everything okay,’ Steve said reassuringly.  
He slipped his arm around her and Bucky was left to watch them walk away, arm in arm. Bucky held back, not wanting to trail after the happy couple. It wasn’t long before Rumlow came over to him.  
‘You know, Barnes, I don't know what the matter is with Rogers. I mean, he's crazy!’ Bucky attempted to feign interest while silently wishing Rumlow would just piss off. ‘You ought to keep a leash on him.’  
‘He's not my problem, he's yours.’ Bucky said with a smile and made to leave.  
‘Oh, by the way, this storm's going to be a lot bigger than we anticipated. I got reports of mesos all the way from Grand County to Logan.’ Rumlow added.  
‘You sharing information with me?’ Bucky asked turning back to him.  
‘No, I was just curious as to which way you were going to head.’  
Ah, there it was. Of course Rumlow wanted to know what they were doing; his lack of instinct glaringly obvious yet again.  
‘Southeast, I think...to the counter.’ Bucky told him before heading over to the cafe.  
Melissa was stood at the counter; her sunglasses perched on top of her head.  
‘Two lemonades to go, please,’ Melissa was saying to the waitress.  
‘Nothing changes,’ Bucky muttered to himself, counting his change for coffee as he came up beside her.  
Melissa glanced sharply at him.  
‘Pardon me?’  
‘He's gonna wait and see what Steve does,’ Bucky told her. ‘Can I get a coffee to go please?’ he added to the waitress.  
Melissa glanced over her shoulder in Rumlow’s direction and frowned.  
‘That man's waiting for Steve? Why?’ Melissa asked.  
Bucky glanced through the window to where Steve was stood. He watched as Steve picked up a handful of dirt and watched it fall to the ground; tracking the wind flow.  
‘Steve has a sort of sixth sense when it comes to storms. Knows what they’re gonna do, where they’re gonna go.’  
‘So you're telling me Steve knows what a storm is thinking?’ said Melissa, dubiously.  
Bucky smiled to himself.  
‘Something like that. My Aunt Peggy used to call him a human barometer,’ he replied, picking up some sugar packets.  
‘Well he never really told me about all this.’ Melissa said almost dismissively.  
Bucky didn’t really have a response to that. It wasn’t his fault Steve didn’t tell her, but it was strange to him that Steve would leave out such a massive part of his life.  
‘If you have to pee you should do it now, 'cuz there's not many places to stop once we get on the road,’ Bucky told her pulling his wallet from his pocket.  
He didn’t look at her as he spoke, his eyes stubbornly skimming over her head to watch the waitress seeing to his coffee.  
‘You're still in love with him, aren't you?’  
The question hit Bucky like a brick. He could feel Melissa’s eyes on him; waiting for him to respond.  
‘Check please,’ he said to the waitress, avoiding the question.  
‘Not that I blame you,’ Melissa continued. ‘I just hope this isn't some desperate attempt to keep him in your life.’    
Bucky tucked his hair behind his ears again and dropped a twenty on the counter.  
‘We’re together,’ Bucky said.  
He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Melissa. Throughout this whole day, Bucky had privately thought the woman to be pretty dumb; not quite understanding what Steve saw beyond the pretty face and inane questions. How could he have underestimated how observant she was? Instead of responding, he grabbed his coffee and headed out.  
   
———  
   
Steve stood looking out over the fields; the wind rustling his hair. The clouds were changing; the sky turning. He could feel it in the air - the charge that seemed to build up as a storm gathered, ready to drop. He opened his hand letting the last of the dirt fall into the wind. He heard the footsteps approaching; a small part of him hoping it was Bucky. He pushed that part down.  
‘Hey man, what’s up?’ Sam asked as he came to a stop beside Steve.  
Steve glanced at him briefly before turning his eyes back to the darkening sky. He’d been away for a long time but as he stood there, feeling the breeze in his hair, it was like he’d never been away. Everything was coming back to him.  
‘It’s turning,’ he murmured.  
Sam looked at him, curiously.  
‘Time?’  
Steve nodded.  
‘Gather the troops, Sam.’  
‘You got it Cap,’ Sam said, clapping him on the shoulder.  
Steve followed Sam as he spread word; the team loading up and getting ready to roll out. Melissa caught up with him as Steve hurried towards Bucky’s truck.  
‘Honey, I got you a lemonade…’ Melissa said, trying to keep up with his long strides.  
‘We gotta move out. Listen: follow us in the truck, but stay behind Clint’s van. You'll be safe back there. I gotta go with Bucky,’ Steve told her. ‘Okay, let's move out, people! Let's go!’  
‘Where are we goin’?’ Melissa called after him, but he didn’t respond.  
He reached Bucky who had his coffee clasped in his hand and his keys hanging from his mouth. Trucks were pulling out all around them as Steve tugged the keys from Bucky’s mouth and flung open the driver’s side door.  
‘Thanks, I'll drive,’ he said with a grin.  
Bucky rolled his eyes at him and hurried around to the passenger side. Through the rear view mirror, Steve saw Rumlow signalling his own team to follow suit.  
They drove quietly for a short while; the sound of Clint’s music blaring in the distance.  
‘So…’ Bucky said, breaking the obvious tension.  
‘So…’  
‘Amazing colouring there, isn't it?’ Bucky said, leaning forward and looking up at the every changing sky.  
‘Yeah, look at those mammatas. Bet those tops have got to be spiking at about 40,000.’ Steve replied.  
‘That's a good thing.’  
‘That's a very good thing.’  
They smiled at each other briefly before falling into silence again. Polite conversation wasn’t their forte, and it was awkward between them for possibly the first time ever. There was so much that Bucky wanted to say; wanted to ask Steve; wanted to clarify about his life now, away from the team and storm chasing; about Melissa. He knew he should keep his mouth shut and sit in strained silence, but he couldn’t help himself.  
‘She work at the station, is that where you met her?’ Bucky asked, taking a sip of his coffee.  
Steve sighed, heavily.  
‘Bucky…’  
‘What?’  
‘I don't want to fight.’  
‘I'm not fighting, I'm talking.’  
‘I don't want to fight.’ Steve repeated.  
There was a short silence before Bucky spoke again.  
‘She's nice.’  
Steve let out a hollow laugh.  
‘Uh-oh, she's not nice?’ Bucky said, tucking a stray hair behind his ear.  
‘I know what you meant.’  
‘You do?’  
‘Yes, so don't. Don't do this.’ Steve said, keeping his eyes focused on the road.  
‘Okay, I'm making extremely civilised conversation here. You're biting my head off. Jesus.’ Bucky said with forced pleasantry.  
Steve’s mouth pressed into a thin line as he stared out of the windscreen and onto the road ahead, considering Bucky’s words.  
‘Yes,’ he said, eventually. ‘She's very nice. No, she doesn't work at the station. She's, uh, she's a therapist.’  
‘Oh,’ Bucky murmured. He paused for a few seconds before his mouth inevitably opened again. ‘Yours?’  
‘Christ!’  
‘What?’  
‘You couldn't resist, could you? Come on!’ Steve said, finally looking at Bucky.  
Bucky shrugged.  
‘I'm not saying you need therapy!’  
‘What?’  
‘I'm not…’  
‘Wait a minute? I need therapy?’ Steve scoffed.  
‘I didn't say that,’ Bucky murmured.  
‘I need a therapist?’  
‘I didn't say that,’ Bucky repeated.  
‘What could I possibly need a therapist for?’  
‘I don't know,’ said Bucky, keeping his voice quiet and calm.  
‘You're the doctor; tell me,’ Steve said.  
Silence hung between them for a second, then Bucky took one last gulp of his coffee and spoke.  
‘I don't know...um…an inability to finish things?’  
‘Finish things?’ Steve said, staring at Bucky in disbelief.  
‘Rushing into things you can't quite commit to. All guns blazing then… well…’  
‘Commitment?’  
‘You asked me,’ Bucky said, fixing his gaze back on the road ahead.  
‘Look…’  
‘You asked me!’  
‘No, that is bullshit! Look, I may have walked out…’  
‘You asked.’  
‘…but at least I showed up in the first place! You never had the slightest idea…’  
‘Okay, there's a whole road thing, coming on up here…’ Bucky attempted to interject, but Steve was too riled up now.  
Bucky actually had the audacity to suggest he was the one with a problem.  
‘…about commitment and what being married means.’ Steve continued. ‘Like stability, supportiveness, the house and all kinds of stuff like that.’  
Steve was getting more agitated and annoyed as Bucky stared off out the window. Steve watched him not really focussing on anything else.  
‘Can I drive?’ Bucky asked, turning back to him.  
‘No,’ Steve snapped back.  
‘Then would you?’  
Steve turned to face the road again only to find that they had drifted; a parked tractor right in their path.  
‘Woah!’ Steve yelled, swerving sharply back into the road. ‘Shit!’  
‘Somebody should warn her about your temper,’ Bucky chimed in.  
‘Bucky, I swear to god…’  
‘She obviously has no idea what she's getting into.’  
‘Stay the hell out of it,’ Steve snapped.  
‘You know…’  
‘I know exactly what I'm doing.’  
‘What exactly?’  
‘What am I doing?’ Steve said.

They continued to bicker, unaware that they could be heard over the radio to all the trucks following.  
‘I think they're getting better at this,’ Natasha said to Sam in their van that trailed behind. Sam just laughed; they’d known Steve and Bucky long enough to know this was normal.

‘You know what? As long as you're happy,’ Bucky interjected.  
‘Thank you!’ Steve exclaimed, loudly. ‘I am happy! I'm a happy person. I'm happy with my life. I'm happy with the way things are going in my life. I happy with...with…with…’ Steve stuttered.  
‘Melissa,’ Bucky said; barely containing a grin.  
‘I know her name! Yes, I'm happy with Melissa. I am!’ Steve almost shouted.  
He ran a hand through his hair, beyond annoyed now.  
Bucky always had this effect on him; knew all the buttons to press to get him riled up. Steve took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.  
‘Okay,’ Bucky mumbled, not sounding all too convinced.  
Steve was about to tear into him again when the radio crackled into life.  
‘Hey, are you guys gonna wrap this up pretty soon?’ Natasha asked.  
‘What?’ Steve snapped back.  
‘Oh, nothin. I was just wondering if we're gonna chase this tornado, or if you just wanna catch the next one?’  
Steve and Bucky both bolted up and looked out of the left window. In the distance a tornado had dropped; it’s coiling white clouds, beautiful against the dark skyline.  
‘Shit!’ Steve yelled as he dropped the radio and hit the accelerator.  
Bucky grabbed the headset, tucking it over his head;  
‘Nat, is it on the ground?’  
Steve pushed the accelerator further, really bumping up their speed.  
‘Easy, easy, easy!’ Bucky said gripping his arm lightly.  
The simple touch seemed to calm Steve instantly. He took another deep breath and leaned forward looking up at the sky. Cars passing them honked their horns, warning them of what was up ahead. Steve didn’t slow; he just kept the steady speed racing towards the tornado.  
‘We're moving to intercept guys. Get ready to set up,’ Bucky said over the radio.  
‘You got it!’ Natasha chimed back.  
The rest of the fleet dropped behind as Steve and Bucky drove on.  
‘You gotta get further ahead of it,’ Bucky told him.  
‘I know what I'm doing.’  
‘Cut across the field, Steve!’  
‘I know I have to get ahead of it.’  
‘You're gonna have to get into that field!’  
‘Do you want to drive?’ Steve asked.  
‘I'm just saying…’  
‘Would you like to drive?!’  
‘Yes, I'd love to!’ Bucky replied with a smile.  
Steve rolled his eyes as Sam’s voice came over the radio.  
‘Listen, it's about 3 miles southeast. Let's see what she does!’  
Up ahead, the tornado moved ever closer to them, dancing across the sky; a haze of debris surrounding the base; the sky so dark above it looked almost black.  
‘Go in there, go in there!’ Bucky said, pointing to an irrigation ditch.  
‘Just wait.’ Steve said; nerves building as they got closer to the twister.  
‘You're gonna miss it!’ Bucky said, getting agitated by Steve’s cautiousness now.  
‘Hold on, hold on! Just hold on a second.’  
‘Have you lost your nerve?’ Bucky asked, almost tauntingly.  
Steve gave him a sly smile, reached over and pulled Bucky’s seatbelt tighter around him.  
‘Tighten your seatbelt!’ he said as he steered the truck off the road into the ditch.  
‘Bucky, Cap, where are you? We lost visual!’ Clint asked over the radio.  
The truck bounced along the road; the ditch getting deeper as the twister grew closer; the growling sound getting louder as they drove along the bumpy track. Steve gripped the steering wheel tighter as the ditch became even harder to drive along; the sides slanting upwards.  
‘Are we having fun yet?’  
‘Okay, we got to get out of this.’ Bucky said. edging forward in his seat.  
‘Really?’ Steve replied, sarcastically.  
‘2 miles now, picking up speed!’ Sam said over the radio.  
‘Steve, sometime this week would be good!’ Bucky said.  
‘I’m trying to get out!’  
The sides were too steep now though. They were stuck. They could only keep going forward.  
‘Are you mad?’ Bucky asked.  
‘I'll be mad later, right now I'm trying not to kill us!’ Steve told him.  
The radio crackled again.  
‘Funnel's getting thicker! It's movin' fast, coming toward you Bucky!’ Clint said.  
The roaring was so loud now Steve could barely hear anything else. A loud crash behind them and Steve saw a barn blown apart through the rear view mirror.  
‘It's starting to turn!’ Bucky said, twisting around to see.  
‘Where? I can't see!’  
‘You will.’  
‘Bucky, you're too close, it's not gonna work. Get outta there!!!’ Sam yelled into the radio.  
It was barely audible through the deafening roar of the tornado right behind them.  
‘Shit! I can't get out, it's too steep! This was a great idea!’ Steve yelled as tried to hit the breaks to no avail.  
They just continued skimming forward. Up ahead was a low lying overpass. Steve tried again and again with the breaks, but nothing.  
‘Bucky!’ Steve cried out as they slammed into the bridge.  
They both sat, stunned for a minute.  
‘See that wasn’t so bad! C’mon! Let’s get her out!’ Bucky yelled as he thrust open the door and jumped out.  
Barely a second passed before Steve was scrambling from the truck after him. He landed on the mud-slick ground. He could hear Bucky yelling something; trying to be heard over the noise of the wind.  
‘Why can't we spend a normal day together?!’ Steve groaned as he quickly made his way across the muddy ditch to the back of the truck where Bucky is trying to unload Dorothy.  
‘We're in the damage path, let's go!’ Steve yelled.  
Whether Bucky couldn’t hear him or was ignoring him Steve didn’t know but he just kept on going; unhooking the straps that secured Dorothy. Steve stumbled over to him; his feet sinking into the thick mud. He grabbed Bucky, pulling him towards the overpass. Bucky struggled in his arms as Steve tried desperately to get him away from the approaching tornado. It would be on them in seconds. He could hear it’s growls behind them.  
‘BUCK, THIS IS CRAZY, COME ON!!’ he yelled, fighting to keep them both upright.  
‘LET GO!’ Bucky yelled back.  
‘THERE'S NO TIME!’ Steve insisted.  
He could hear the desperation in his own voice.  
‘WE CAN STILL DO THIS!’  
‘C’MON! C’MON!!’  
At last, Bucky admitted defeat and let Steve guide them to the underpass. The ditch was pooled with water and mud; their feet sinking into the murk.  
‘FIND SOMETHING TO GRAB HOLD OF!’ Steve yelled.  
‘I KNOW!’

The column holding up the overpass was all they had and they both ran for it. Bucky slid into it and wrapped his arms around the post; the silver of his prosthetic arm seeming to glow in the dark of the underpass. Steve positioned himself over Bucky; covering him as best he could; both of them hugging the column.  
Steve looked up. Through the slats of the overpass he could see the flashes of light as the wind and dirt flew through the air above them. Without warning, Bucky slipped out from under him; crawling towards the twister which was barely yards away.  
‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!’ Steve screamed after him.  
Steve let go of the post; reaching towards Bucky as the deafening sound grew closer; smothering them. Steve’s heart was pounding in his chest as the wind pounded against the wood barely holding above them.  
‘I WANT TO SEE IT!’ Bucky cried.  
‘COME BACK!’  
‘I WANT TO SEE IT! STEVE!!’ Bucky cried as Steve grabbed him.  
He dragged him back under the overpass. The tornado was right over them; mud and water and god knows what else being flung in every direction. Steve could see the truck sliding around in the mud as the wind beat at it; bashing it into the sides of the ditch.  
‘LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!!’ Steve yelled as the wind thrust the truck into the overpass again with a loud crunch.  
Their feet sank into the thick mud as Steve pulled Bucky back over to the column. Bucky crouched down wrapping his arms around it once more. Using his larger frame Steve wrapped himself around Bucky; trying his best to shield him from the hell that was breaking loose all around them.  
The overpass creaked louder as the growls of the tornado engulfed them. The wooden slats above them cracked and broke free, whipping away piece by piece into the roaring wind. He had full view of the twister now as it engulfed them; the dark wind passing over them at an unbeliever speed. Steve had never seen anything like it. Not this close.  
Fear ripped through him and he held himself closer over Bucky; protecting him as best he could. The noise was unimaginable: like a savage beast growling and roaring in his ear; unrelenting and wild. Steve buried his head in Bucky’s hair; closing his eyes as he held onto the pillar with all his strength, his fingers going numb as the rain and mud soaked them. Steve held tighter - as tight as he could.  
Then it was gone; the sudden silence almost as deafening as the wind.  
 

Steve slowly straightened up as Bucky pushed his sodden hair from his face and looked around. Steve had already started clambering his way out of the ditch.  
‘It’s gone. It’s gone,’ Steve shouted back to him.  
Bucky made to follow him but the sound of the crew’s trucks on the road above made him stop.  
‘Where’s my truck?’ he asked, looking around.  
A crash and a screech of tires sent Steve and Bucky both hurrying up the bank. Bucky stopped as he reached the top, just in time to see Melissa swerving around Bucky’s truck that had just crashed into the road.  
‘There it is,’ Bucky mumbled as Steve ran the last few steps to reach his fiancée.  
‘Melissa!’ Steve yelled as he wrenched the door open; Melissa practically falling out and into his arms.  
Bucky watched as Steve hugged her. She was hyperventilating and shaking hard - clearly she had just missed the truck when it had fallen from the sky back into the road. The rest of the crew were gathered around now, checking to see they were alright.  
‘You just missed the truck! Awesome man!’ Clint cried giddily as he ran over.  
‘Oh God, Steve, STEVE!!’ Melissa cried, clinging to him.  
‘You okay?’ Steve asked.  
‘Oh, God! I'm okay…'  
‘You sure?’  
‘Cap, she just missed the truck!’ Clint repeated.  
‘God, what happened to you?’ Melissa asked looking up at Steve.  
Bucky could see the horror on her face. If Steve was anything to go by, they were both soaked and covered in mud.  
‘Nothin' honey, we're okay. We were perfectly safe!’ Steve assured her, pulling her close again.  
Bucky headed over to his truck which lay upside down in the middle of the road.  
‘It’s gone,’ Bucky said as T’Challa and Scott appeared behind him.  
‘Wait a minute…’ Scott tried, but Bucky brushed him off.  
‘It's trashed.’  
‘No, just hang on a minute we'll take a look,’ T’Challa added.  
‘It's gone,’ Bucky said.  
There was nothing they could do. What was left of the truck, of Dorothy, was smashed to pieces.  
‘You okay?’ Bucky asked Melissa as he passed, not bothering to actually stop.  
‘She's okay,’ Steve said over her head; his eyes following Bucky.  
It was a mess. There was no salvaging it.  
Clint laughed as he came over. It’s all they could do really, though Bucky couldn’t bring himself to join in.  
‘Well, there's some good news. It did fly,’ Clint said, still chuckling as Bucky kicked in the window of the cab and began pulling out his bag and gear. ‘What was it like?’  
Bucky looked up at him, squinting in the now-bright sunshine.  
‘It was windy.’  
Clint let out a bark of laughter.  
‘Windy? That's intense.’  
‘All right, move it, Barton.’  
‘That's intense! That's intense!’ Clint repeated, holding his hands up and backing away a broad grin plaster across his face.  
Bucky went back to salvaging what else he could from his totalled truck. At last, he pulled a towel from the cab and attempted to wipe the mud and grime from his face. He watched as T’Challa and Scott began scooping up the sensors that had spilled from what was left of Dorothy. As he did, the convoy of black vans rolled up beside them.  
Rumlow.  
Unsurprisingly they don’t stop.  
‘Hey, the auto club's here!’ Scott shouted as the vans slowly drove by.  
Clint ran over sticking his upper body through the open window of Rumlow’s van.  
‘Fashionably late again, Rumlow? Fashionably late!’ he yelled as the driver of Rumlow’s van attempted to push him out.  
‘Get out of here, get outta here!’ Rumlow yelled.  
Clint slid out of the window falling back into the road roaring with laughter. Bucky couldn’t stop himself from laughing this time as Clint yelled,  
‘Why don't you find your own twister, buddy. Move on!’  
Clint continued to yell and laugh as the vans passed by.  
‘Let’s go,’ Sam shouted over to them.  
‘Don't worry; we'll get them cleaned up. C’mon guys let's get Dorothy 2 ready!’ Scott said as he and T’Challa carried the sensors they’d salvaged over to T’Challa’s truck.  
Bucky was looking over at Steve and Melissa now. They were still arm in arm.  
‘You got full coverage on that truck?’ Bucky asked; shoving everything he could into his backpack.  
‘Liability only,’ Steve said a smile on his face that said he knew exactly what Bucky was gunning for.  
‘Liability only?’  
Bucky didn’t have a clue what that meant, but it didn’t really matter. He smiled back at Steve.  
‘It’s a very pretty truck.’  
‘Thank you.’ Melissa said.  
Steve let out a hollow laugh.  
‘Don't even think about it.’ Steve said.  
Bucky just looked at him. Swinging his backpack up onto his shoulder, he smiled again.  
‘No way.’ Steve added.

———  
   
Bucky’s hair blew in the wind that rushed through the open window as they sped down the open road in Steve’s truck. He tucked it absentmindedly behind his ear before remembering the hair tie Wanda had given him and fished it out of his pocket; quickly tying it in a messy bun at the nape of his neck before leaning back into his seat. Steve was sat beside him, driving; Melissa in the backseat, and Dorothy 2 strapped onto the truck bed.  
Bucky tapped his fingers lightly on the window ledge. Every inch of him seemed to thrum with energy. The close call they’d just had seemed to have ignited a fire inside him. He was on edge; barely able to sit still.  
He thought back to the underpass and the tornado. He hadn’t been that close before; not since…  
He could still feel Steve’s arms around him. The way he had held Bucky close to him…it had been weird but he’d felt safe there in Steve’s arms, even though the chaos was surrounding them.  
The radio suddenly crackled into life, making Bucky jump.  
‘This is the Hawkeye! This is the one and only Hawkeye! I'm waiting for orders, Boss!’ Clint said.  
Bucky reached for the handset at the same time Steve did; their fingers brushing lightly. They hesitated, then both grabbed for it again.  
‘Go ahead,’ Steve said, over-politely.  
‘It's your truck,’ Bucky told him.  
‘No, really. You should,’ Steve insisted.  
Bucky didn’t hesitate again grabbing the radio.  
‘Barton, the battle zone should be northeast of 81.’  
‘Copy that, Boss.’  
‘Wait a minute,’ Melissa nervously piped up from the back seat. ‘Battle zone? Steve, what're we doing?’  
‘We're going again,’ Steve told her.  
‘Again? But back there you almost got yourself killed!’ Melissa squeaked, sounding terrified.  
‘No, no - just a close call,’ Steve told her.  
The radio crackled again.  
‘You're gonna cross 15 on Oklahoma 412,’ Sam said.  
‘Okay, copy that,’ Bucky replied; ignoring Melissa. ‘Wanda, what's on the mesonet?’  
‘Winds continuing to back, VIL's are at…uh, 60,’ she replied.  
‘Okay guys, let's go get it!’ Bucky said.  
They drove steadily for a few minutes; Bucky dramatically leaning over to see the speedometer. They’re only going 50. He let out a huff and slumped back into his seat. They were going at a damn snail’s pace.  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Steve roll his eyes but he sped up nonetheless, pulling ahead of the rest of the crew. In front of them Bucky could see the line of black vans, and further in the distance, the dark silhouette of the twister as it moved across the horizon.  
‘There's your pal,’ Bucky said as they grew level with Rumlow’s truck.  
Rumlow glared at them.  
Suddenly Steve slammed on the breaks and Bucky jolted forward; only his seatbelt stopping him from slamming into the dashboard.  
‘What’re you doin'?’ Bucky asked, franticly.  
The tornado was right up ahead; they were on a perfect course to intercept. Steve wasn’t paying attention; his eyes on the cloud base.  
‘Look at the updraft - the angle! It's gonna shift it's track!’  
‘Are you sure?’ Bucky asked, looking over to where Steve’s eyes were focussed.  
‘Oh yes. It's definitely a sidewinder! It'll move left.’  
‘Is that bad?’ Melissa asked.  
Steve didn’t answer; turning to Bucky instead.  
‘Wasn't there a road back there?’  
‘You're right, go, go, go, GO,GO!’ Bucky yelled.

Steve slammed the truck into reverse until they reached the turn off and sped off down the new road. Fields dotted with cows lined their new route but Bucky paid them little attention; keeping his eyes on the sky. Steve was right - the clouds were already shifting.  
Melissa’s phone burst into life behind them.  
‘Hello?! Donald, now's not a very good time for me, okay? What...all right, put Julie on. Okay.’  
Bucky had to force himself not to get irritated by the ‘uhuhs’ and ‘yeahs’ coming from Melissa as they hurtled along the road.  
‘We're close.’ Steve said.  
‘Wanda, tell me what road we're on, where does this take us?’  
‘I know it feels unnatural…’ Melissa said from behind them. ‘…but with Donald's motility, you're not gonna have this baby the old-fashioned way…even if you stand on your head.’  
Bucky turned to look at Steve; eyebrows raised.  
‘She's a…reproductive therapist,’ Steve said; answering Bucky’s unasked question.  
Bucky didn’t really have a response for that so he grabbed the radio again.  
’T’Challa? T’Challa come in, we've got to get ahead of this storm. What's on the satellite?’  
The radio fizzled with static for a moment before T’Challa’s voice came through, clearly.  
‘Twister, south; skipping south; shifting to south! We have an F2, ladies and gentlemen; possibly F3. You with me? It's a very, very large rope on the ground. Very large; right on the ground.’ T’Challa replied.  
‘It looks like it's turning, it looks like it's turning. The atmosphere is very unstable! Repeat: unstable!!’ Sam added.  
‘This is Scott, this is Scott: it's at 2:00; it's headed this way!!’  
‘We're driving due east on a country road we've been on for about 6 miles. We've got an F3, 2, sitting on the ground, and she's a beauty!’ Wanda chimed in.  
‘Bucky, it's a Barn Burner, it's a Barn Burner! It's not gonna hang out long. It's not hanging out long!’ Clint added excitedly.  
‘We got it, we got it! We see it!’ Bucky replied; dropping the radio and leaning forward again.  
The sky was dark; so dark it was as thought the night had came early. Suddenly the heavens seemed to open up and rain thundered down onto them, getting harder the closer they got to the tornado. Steve grabbed the radio.  
‘We're getting slammed in here guys, you better hang back,’ He told the crew as they carried on.  
The rest of the crew dropped back as Bucky fumbled for the camera.  
‘This thing ready to go?’ he asked Steve.  
‘Yeah, go for it.’  
Bucky lifted the camera ready to shoot but stopped as he noticed the way the rain was hitting the window.  
‘Rain bands,’ Bucky mumbled.  
‘What?’ Melissa asked.  
‘Look at the surf coming off those fields,’ he explained pointing.  
‘Shit, horizontal rain. Hang on!’ Steve replied as he floored the gas.  
They approached a bridge going over a large lake; Bucky watching as the tornado moved over the lake; sucking up water.  
‘Jesus, I've never seen it clouded like this.’  
‘I don't think anybody has. But…’ Steve began, but Bucky had a sudden realisation.  
‘Stevie....we're in the core.’  
The wind wipers were going at full speed as the rain pounded down on them. Bucky could barely see out. Then he saw it - the twister splitting in two. Bucky was mesmerised; watching as the pair of tornados twisted and swirled together, dancing over the lake.  
‘Okay, we've got sisters!’ Steve announced as Melissa's phone rang again.  
‘Yes?!! Julie I can't talk to you right now!’ Melissa squealed; panic clear in her voice.  
‘We're right under the flanking line,’ Bucky told Steve.  
‘I realise that.’ Steve said; tightening his grip on the steering wheel.  
His eyes hadn’t left the twisters either.  
‘We can't attack this thing from the south -we're gonna get rolled!’  
‘Watch me.’  
‘Julie, I know you're upset, you just gotta, breathe, we've both just gotta breathe!’ Melissa said.  
Bucky rolled his eyes as Melissa started huffing in the back of the truck; a tinny squawk on the other end.  
Suddenly, a cow flew past the window in front of them.  
‘Cow,’ Bucky announced.  
‘I gotta go, Julie, we’ve got cows!’ Melissa cried before hanging up the phone.  
Moments later another cow flew past in the opposite direction.  
‘Another cow.’  
‘Actually, I think that was the same one.’ Steve murmured; his eyes following the cow as it whipped back out of view. ‘We’ve got drunkards here, we've got no path!’  
The twisters were coiling and whirling around each other; sucking up water from the lake as they intertwined. Bucky had never seen waterspouts like this.  
‘This is not good, get us out of here!’  
‘I'm trying, okay?!’ Steve snapped back at him.  
‘Floor it!’  
Steve floored the gas, then he seemed to realise right at the same time as Bucky, that it wasn’t gonna work. The truck just couldn’t go fast enough.  
Steve slammed on the breaks.  
Melissa screamed as they watched the tornado split again creating a third. They were stuck in the middle of the bridge; all three tornadoes swirling around the truck like a carousel.  
‘HANG ON!!’ Steve yelled as the truck began to slide and spin.  
Bucky clung onto the dashboard.  
‘Honey, hang on!’ Steve yelled as Melissa screamed louder.  
‘Shiiiiiit.’ Bucky cried as the truck continued to skid on the road.  
They were being spun round and round; rain and wind and noise surrounding them; spinning as the twisters circled them.  
Suddenly, the twisters elevated back into the clouds and were gone. For a second, they all sat still in shock. Then Bucky and Steve were jumping out of the truck excited, leaving Melissa, still frozen with fear in the truck. Bucky couldn’t contain himself; jumping around, hugging Steve.  
‘God! Was that incredible?!’ Bucky said; adrenaline thrumming through him.  
‘Did you see it? It was amazing!’  
Bucky looked up at the sky; a broad grin on his face and Steve’s hands still grasping his arms.  
Then Steve noticed Melissa climbing out of the truck, scared stiff.  
‘Oh shit.’ Steve said finally letting go of Bucky and rushing over to her.  
Bucky pushed back the disappointment as Steve left him; keeping his back to them and looking up to where the twisters had just vanished.  
He could hear rest of the team pulling up, the music from Clint’s truck filling the air as each of them hurried over to Bucky. The team were whooping and cheering; the excitement Bucky had felt seconds before, rushing back.  
‘Did you see that?!’ Bucky asked, grinning as they hurried over.  
‘It's okay, it's okay,’ he could hear Steve saying, trying to comfort Melissa.  
Bucky looked over his shoulder at them as the team recounted what they witnessed.  
‘No, I'm not okay! This is not okay!’ Melissa said; her voice cracking.  
Steve pulled her close.  
‘Aw, Christ...I'm sorry. I didn't think.’  
She was almost crying, and Bucky felt a little pang of guilt - just a little one.  
‘You know when you used to tell me you chased tornadoes?’ she whimpered; gazing up at Steve with watery eyes. ‘Deep down, I always thought it was a metaphor!’  
‘Shhhh, It's okay.’ Steve told her again.  
Bucky turned back the crew, buzzing around him excitedly.  
‘Three times a lady!’ Sam yelled; a grin as wide as Bucky’s plastered across his face.  
‘Did you see the inflow jets on these fatties?’  
Bucky told them what it was like as he climbed up onto the truck to check on Dorothy.  
‘Did you see? I was sitting in the fucking middle of it!’ he said.  
They all cheered. Bucky was finding it hard to believe himself. They’d just been in the middle of three waterspouts.  
‘I was thinking, it may not be too bad of an idea if we just got the hell out of here. 'Cuz that was definitely too many tornadoes back there…’ Peter said; a little nervously.  
‘What? Are you kidding me? This thing's not over, we've only seen the start of it!’ Bucky replied.  
‘Hey, you know what, Barnes? Somebody couldn't help but notice how close we are to Wakita.’ Sam said.  
‘No.’ Bucky replied pointedly.  
‘Yeah, and Aunt Peggy wouldn't mind a pit stop, right?’ Scott added; grinning over at Sam.  
‘No!’ Bucky repeated.  
‘Red meat, we crave sustenance!’ Clint cried out.  
‘Guys, we are not invading my aunt!’ Bucky told them.  
Clint spelled out food using ASL; shouting along with it.  
‘F-O-O-D! FOOD’  
The test of the team joined in, chanting, ‘FOOD! FOOD!’  
Bucky stared them all down with his sternest look.  
‘Hey! We are absolutely not going!’ he insisted.  
   
———  
   
It was like a different world driving through Wakita - the sky clear; not a cloud in sight; the neighbourhood still and unassuming. The chaos of the previous few hours seemed so far away as Bucky leaned his head against the window of the truck. Now that the adrenaline rush from earlier had dissipated, he felt exhausted. Secretly he was glad the team had mentioned dropping in on his Aunt Peggy. The thought of a home cooked meal and a shower was like heaven.  
Pulling up to Peggy’s house they could see her in the front yard talking to a neighbour; her grey hair rippling in the wind. The front yard was littered with elaborate wind sculptures and chimes; all tinkling lightly in the breeze.  
‘Steve!’ Peggy cried when she saw who it was.  
Bucky smiled - Peggy had always had a soft spot for Steve.  
‘Hey Peg!’ Steve called back as he helped Melissa out before jogging over and enveloping Peggy in a bear hug.  
‘Oh it’s so good to see you, Steve.’  
‘It’s good to see you too. It’s been far too long.’ Steve said; stepping back.  
‘Hasn’t it? I was just telling James the other day how much I miss you.’ Peggy said turning to Bucky as he walked over.  
Bucky rolled his eyes and wrapped his own arms around her.  
‘Look at you.’ Peggy said as she patted his cheek; still slightly smeared with dried mud. ‘Seen some action?’  
‘You should’ve seen it,’ Bucky said grinning down at her.  
‘Peggy!’ Clint yelled as he and the others all made their way over.  
‘Look at you all!’ Peggy said; beaming as she pulled each of them in turn into hugs.  
Bucky headed into the house.  
The familiar smell of freshly baked bread lingered in the air and Bucky smiled as he remembered all the times he helped her bake as a child. He’d spent most summers there as a kid and then as an adult, dropping in whenever he had the chance. It was his favourite place in the whole world.  
The house was exactly the same as it’d always been: cluttered with all sorts of nick-knacks; pictures of Bucky as a gap-toothed kid hanging on the wall; the large table set up in the middle, waiting for them.  
Soon enough everyone was settling in around the table. Peggy had headed straight for the kitchen - Bucky always marvelled at the speed she could pull enough food to feed the masses together whenever they landed.

‘No, in a severe lightning storm you want to grab your ankles and stick your butt up in the air.’ Clint was saying between bites when Bucky came over from the kitchen; a tray of freshly cooked steaks in hand.  
‘He's right - if you're gonna get hit, it's the safest orifice,’ Natasha added with a smirk.  
‘Yeah, I'd like to get hit by lightning once. Ya know, see what it's like.’ Scott added; sounding almost wistful.  
‘Hey, this is real lemonade?’ Sam asked the room at large as he poured himself a glass, then taking a sip. ‘Hey, Peggy, I'm movin' in here!’  
‘You guys, look out, make a space,’ Bucky yelled; noticing Melissa hovering awkwardly to one side. With some shuffling around and seat switching, they quickly made a space for her and she slipped into the chair beside Clint as Bucky plopped a huge chunk of beef on Melissa's plate.  
‘God, Peggy, you've got a lot of beef. Where'd you get all this beef?’ Sam asked as he took another loving bite.  
‘Did you see my cows out front?’ Peggy said as she came through with a bowl of potatoes.  
‘No…’  
‘Ohhhh! Ohhh!!!’ she replied clutching her throat and feigning surprise.  
They all broke into raucous laughter and Bucky couldn’t help but smile along with them.  
‘You slaughter your own cows Peggy? Nice!’ Clint said; sounding impressed.  
He reached over and served a helping of mashed potatoes onto Melissa plate as Bucky came back from the kitchen with a bowl of gravy.  
‘Better grab some while you can,’ he told Melissa who was sat awkwardly as Clint leaned over her again to grabbed the gravy bowl for himself.  
‘Peggy's gravy is famous. It's practically a food group.’ Clint said to her as he spooned a load of it onto her potatoes.  
Bucky noticed the slightly uncomfortable look on Melissa’s face. Although he knew it wasn’t nice, he couldn’t help feeling a little pleased at her discomfort.  
Peggy passed him a plate full of his own and Bucky was all too happy to tuck in.  
‘Thanks,’ he mumbled through a mouth full of mashed potato.  
The food was incredible and Bucky hadn’t realised just how hungry he was.  
‘Shower’s free.’ Steve said; appearing again.  
Bucky swallowed hard. Steve looked beautiful with his skin slightly flushed and hair still damp from the shower. He was like a walking wet dream. Bucky forced himself not to openly stare.  
‘I’m next!’ he said leaving his plate on the side and heading towards the stairs.  
There was an awkward little moment as Steve tried to move out of Bucky’s way only for Bucky to move the same way.  
‘Oops.’ Steve whispered; that slight flush going deeper across Steve’s cheeks.  
Bucky hoped his own face hadn’t gone as red as it felt as he brushed by Steve; chests bumping together; Steve’s face closer than it should have been as Bucky squeezed past his bulk and headed for the stairs.  
‘Steve dear,’ Peggy said; handing a plate over to him.  
‘Oh man. I’m so ready for this.’ Steve murmured, appreciatively; taking the plate.  
The sound of Rumlow’s voice from the TV distracted Bucky before he could head off upstairs.  
‘How can you watch that garbage!’ Bucky asked; walking over to where T’Challa was sat in front of the TV.  
Steve followed; the rest of them turning to see the TV.  
‘Oh, we’ve gotta see this,’ Steve said; grabbing the remote and turning up the volume.  
Rumlow was stood once again in front of his van; looking smug as he was interviewed.  
_‘Well for me, it's the thrill of the hunt. Man vs. nature. Having battle with the elements,’_ Rumlow was saying.  
Clint booed from where he was sat the table. Bucky was sure he hadn’t even looked up from his plate.  
_‘So as a scientist, can you actually predict tornadoes now?’ the reporter asked.  
‘Well, no, they are very, very unpredictable, as some of my more unfortunate colleagues found out earlier today…’_  
‘Oh, turn him off,’ Natasha said rolling her eye sin disgust.  
_‘…But we hope to change all that with a system I have devised.’_  
‘Man he talks shit,’ Sam said; turning back to his plate.  
‘Turn it off!’ Sharon yelled.  
‘Wow he really is in love with himself. I thought it was just a summer thing,’ Bucky said as he stole Natasha’s coke and took a swig.  
‘He's gonna rue the day. Dude, he's gonna rue the day he came for Captain America!’ Clint said gleefully.  
‘Hear, hear!’ the table echoed as everyone turned away from the TV.  
Still looking very out of place in Aunt Peggy’s jumbled home and surrounded with mismatched furniture and crockery, Melissa cautiously leaned forward over her untouched plate of steak and mashed potatoes.  
‘I was just wonderin' why do you call Steve “Captain America”?’ Melissa asked.  
Everyone laughed.  
‘’Cos Steve is the craziest son of a bitch in the whole US of A!’ Clint said; nudging her lightly.  
Steve looked over at Bucky.  
‘No, I think I came in second,’ he murmured.  
Bucky just rolled his eyes at him and smiled.  
‘Well, I've seen Cap in high gear.’  
Bucky took the chance to escape as Clint began telling Melissa a story he knew all too well.  
‘You guys need to get some new stories. I'm gonna go clean up,’ Bucky said as he headed into the hallway.  
He looked back at them as Clint carried on with the story; Steve stood leaning against the wall. It was like no time had passed at all; just like all those other days they ended up sat around Aunt Peggy’s table after a day in the field.

 

‘So we get this one near Dalton…’ Clint continued.  
‘Oh, God,’ Steve groaned as the rest laughed.  
He knew exactly where this was going.  
‘We're way too close, and Bucky got the bid on it, he's filmin' it, right? And all the sudden, out of nowhere, this shitty looking valiant, comes pulling up, right in the way. He starts yellin'…and this loser,’ Clint nodded towards Steve, ‘stumbles out of the car. He's got like, a bottle of Jack Daniel's in his hand. He's naked…’  
‘He's BUTT naked,’ Sam added.  
‘Naked.’ Sharon emphasised.  
‘NOT naked,’ Steve says as they all laugh again. ‘I was not naked!’  
‘Well not if you count the American flag tied around his neck,’ Natasha said; reaching over for a bread roll.  
‘Like a cape,’ Sam said; grinning at Steve.  
Steve just rolled his eyes at him.  
‘Like I said: naked. So, Bucky is yelling at him to get out of the way, right.’  
They all laughed again; Melissa hanging onto every word.  
‘He just…he strolls up to the twister, and he says "Have a drink!" and he chucks the bottle into the twister, and it never…hits…the ground!’  
‘Twister caught it, and sucked it right up.’ Scott said.  
Melissa looked over at Steve; a look on her face Steve can’t quite place.  
‘Honey, this is a tissue of lies. See there was another Steve, an evil Steve… and I killed him.’  
The room erupted into cheers and more laughter. Steve grinned along with them all.  
It was this that Steve had missed the most: the way they all laughed and joked with each other; sitting around the table like a mismatched family.  
That’s what they were to Steve - the family he didn’t have. His dad had died when he was young; his mother the year he went to college. Stumbling into this group had been something he could’ve never had predicted or truly appreciated. He hadn’t realised just how much he had missed them.

After a while Steve found himself out on the front porch, escaping the barrage of ridiculous stories and leaning against the railings as he looked out over the neighbourhood. A couple of kids were playing in the garden across the street; laughing and giggling as they chased each other.  
He jumped when something cold touched his hand. Looking down he saw Aunt Peggy’s old dog, George; tail wagging softly as he nudged against Steve’s hand again.  
‘Hey buddy.’ Steve said, kneeling down to stroke him.  
The dog’s fur was soft in his hands as he rubbed behind his ears.  
‘You’ve gone and done it now. He’s never gonna let you leave.’  
Steve looked up to see Sam smirking at him from the doorway.  
‘Doesn’t sound too bad.’  
‘Yeah. It’s good to have you back man.’  
‘I told you. I’m not back,’ Steve insisted.  
‘Keep telling yourself that. We both know you’ve missed this.’ Sam told him.  
Steve looked back down at the dog. Of course he was right. Steve had left this all behind though; he’d made the choice; he’d moved on. He had his new job and Melissa - this was just one last hurrah before he went back.  
‘Y’know, he’s not the only one who missed you,’ Sam said.  
Guilt washed over Steve.  
‘I know. I’m sorry Sam. I just…’  
‘Had to go. I get it.’  
‘I couldn’t go on like that anymore. The constant arguing…you know what it was like.’  
‘Only too well. He was a mess after you left,’ Sam said; sitting down on the porch swing.  
Steve looked over at him, not really knowing what to say.  
‘Buried himself in work,’ Sam continued. ‘Never seen him like that, but hey it’s how we got Dorothy.’  
The thought of Bucky throwing himself into his work didn’t make Steve feel any less guilty. It had been the hardest decision of his life to walk away. Knowing that Bucky had struggled with it made him feel slightly sick. The last thing he’d wanted was for Bucky to be hurt, but Steve knew leaving was the only thing he could've done at that point. For a long time he wondered if he had made the right choice. Today he was wondering that same thing again.  
Being back in the thick of it; back with the people who had became his family; seeing Bucky… it had him doubting it all over again.  
‘I am glad you’re back though,’ Sam added seeming to know that Steve’s mind had wandered.  
‘I am too.’  
There was a clatter and a groan from inside.  
‘We should get back in there before they destroy the place.’ Steve said standing back up; using it as a perfect excuse to detract away from those feelings and that conversation.

Back inside they found Pietro mopping up what had been the jug of lemonade.  
‘No, that was a good size twister! What was that? An F3?’ Wanda asked as Steve and Sam joined the rest sat around the table.  
Even T’Challa had given up on the TV and was sat with them. Clint had put on the radio on table beside him, listening intently.  
‘Solid F2,’ Steve told her.  
‘See now you've lost me again,’ Melissa said; her brow creased in confusion.  
‘It's the Fujita scale. It measures the intensity of a tornado by how much it eats.'  
‘Eats?’  
‘Destroys,’ Steve clarified.  
‘The little encounter we had back there was a strong F2…F3 maybe,’ Natasha said.  
‘Bet we see some F4's today,’ Sam added.  
That'd be sweet!’ Pietro said; enthusiastically.  
‘4 is good, 4'll re-locate your house fairly officially,’ Steve told Melissa with a small laugh.  
‘Is there an F5?’ she asked.  
The room fell quiet; everybody’s eyes falling to their plates. Melissa looked around, expectantly.  
‘What would that be like?’  
‘The finger of God,’ T’Challa said; quietly.  
‘None of you have ever seen an F5?’  
‘Just one of us,’ Steve told her.  
They all seemed to look at the same time: up through the ceiling where Bucky was upstairs.  
   
———  
   
The water felt good on Bucky’s skin as he stood under the shower. He reached up and pulled the hair tie loose; letting his hair down as he ducked his head under the water. With his eyes closed, Bucky let all the emotions of the day fill him. It was almost enough to overwhelm him; his head was all over the place. They’d seen so much in such a short period of time.  
Throwing his feelings about Steve in with all of that had left him a mess. Part of him never wanted to leave the comfort of the hot water cascading over him.  
Stepping out of the shower he could hear them all laughing and joking downstairs; no doubt telling ridiculous stories. He smiled - his crazy family all back together again.  
He dried himself off and dressed quickly.  
In the spare room, Bucky ran a comb through his damp hair. He pulled his wedding ring off and slipped it through the chain he usually wore, then looped it back around his neck; holding it lightly in his fingers for a moment before letting it go.  
Bucky frowned as he looked up at his reflection; his hand automatically reaching over to where his prosthetic joined with his skin. It didn’t bother him most days. He’d lost his arm as a kid after all; he prosthetic was a part of him now. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.  
‘Forget it. Doesn't matter what you do, you'll still be beautiful,’ Peggy said as she came into the room.  
‘You're biased,’ Bucky told her; dropping his hands.  
‘Yes, I am.’  
She paused, her dark eyes studying him closely.  
‘Sounds like old times down there.’  
‘Yeah, it does,’ Bucky agreed.  
The stood quietly together; Bucky now looking out of the window, watching the wind catch the sculptures in the garden below; the gentle tinkle of the chimes drifting in soothingly through the open window.  
‘He didn't keep his part of the bargain,’ Peggy said after while.  
‘Which part?’  
‘To spend his life pining for you, and die miserable and alone.’  
Bucky smiled sadly at her.  
‘That so much to ask?’  
‘I don't know. Steve always went his own way, which was usually the same way you were going.’  
‘Seems like a long time ago.’  
‘Not so long. He's here, isn't he?’  
Bucky looked back at the sculpture; not wanting to even consider what Peggy’s words meant.  
‘That is so beautiful,’ Bucky murmured in a bid to change the subject.

   
‘WE GOT ONE, BABY! F3!! A MILE OUTSIDE PARLAINE!’ Clint was yelling as Bucky headed back downstairs.  
The clatter of cutlery and scrapes of chairs filled the air as everyone began to move at once, quickly gathering up their things and rushing around.  
Bucky turned up the volume on the radio where Clint had been listening.  
_‘…city of Wakita, this is a storm that has developed in the past 15 minutes. First-Alert Doppler radar shows that this is a very intense storm...’_  
Bucky grabbed his backpack and followed the others as they rushed out to the trucks. Steve was ahead of him with Melissa.  
‘You ride along with Clint, okay. Is that cool?’ Steve told her.  
‘Okay.’  
‘What’s the word from NSSL?’ Sharon asked; a piece of bread still in her hand.  
‘Word is big!’ Sam shouted over as he climbed into his truck.  
‘All right, let's go, people!’ Steve said as everyone hurried about.  
‘You know where Rumlow is?’ Bucky asked Natasha as she hurried by.  
‘Yeah, he's still in Milston - 30 miles from it,’ she told him.  
‘Let's all get moving!’ Bucky said. ‘Can we beat him?’  
‘I'm working on it.’ Natasha assured him as she began rifling through the atlas pages.  
‘Thanks for stopping by,’ Peggy said; hugging Bucky quickly.  
‘I'm sorry to eat and run,’ Bucky told her, and he was.  
It seemed like he never got much time with her these days.  
‘It’s what you live for.’  
‘Thanks for everything Peggy,’ Steve said, kissing her on the cheek.  
‘Good to see you, Steve.’  
‘Honey, I…’ Melissa began.  
’It's okay, it's okay,’ Steve assured her.  
Clint was the last out of the house.  
‘Tasty cow, Aunt Peggy,’ he said grinning.  
Peggy handed him a bag of food.  
’It's for you, Clint.’  
He hugged her tight.  
‘Thank you, thank you!’ he said beaming at her before turning to Melissa. ‘You and me, right?’  
Melissa nodded although she didn’t look all to happy about the situation as Clint hurried off towards his camper.  
‘Well, it was a pleasure meeting you,’ she said to Peggy.  
‘And you my dear…but you better hurry,’ she replied, indicating everyone getting ready to move off.  
Bucky hugged his aunt one last time and jogged over to Steve’s truck.  
‘Keys?’  
Steve looked at him his eyebrows raised.  
‘Please?’ he prompted.  
Bucky just grinned, grabbed the keys from Steve’s hand and climbed into the driver’s seat.  
‘You're welcome!’ Steve said sarcastically as he rounded the truck and climbed in beside him.  
At last everyone was in their trucks, engines running ready to go.  
‘Tasha?’ Bucky said into the radio.  
‘Hang on! Uh, let's go right through Wakita - we'll take Myers Road past the fire station; and we'll take 132 to 44 east.’  
They all began to pull out, heading the way Natasha had instructed. Steve grabbed the radio himself as Bucky pulled out in front.  
‘Nat, do you know any shortcuts?’ Steve asked. ‘Let us know - we need every second!’  
‘Okay, about a mile up there's a little detour we're gonna take - a little walk in the woods!’  
They turned off onto a winding dirt road, through a thicket. The road turned bumpy as the sped down the dirt track.  
‘Hey, it's bumpy here, folks!’ Steve said in warning over the radio before dropping the handset and grabbing the wireless headset; turning to Bucky. ‘Okay, let's get you wired.’  
Steve quickly hooked Bucky up to the headset; slipping it over his head and clipping the mic on.  
Steve mumbled a ‘sorry’ as he reached across Bucky’s waist to clip the receiver onto his belt. Bucky could barely contain the smirk as he watched Steve’s cheeks flush. Steve always did turn a pretty shade of pink when he was embarrassed - something Bucky used to bring about as often as he could when they were together. It was nice to know he still had that effect on Steve after all this time.

‘Okay, Nat, what have you got?’ Steve asked as they continued down the dirt road.  
‘Right, turn left here toward that farm.’  
‘You sure about that?’  
‘Uh, yeah. Trust me. I know everything remember.’  
Bucky and Steve both rolled their eyes.  
‘You think you know everything.’  
Bucky turned left straight into a corn field.  
‘Jesus Christ.’ Bucky said, ploughing through; a wall of plants surrounding them.  
‘This is a field, Nat!’  
‘I know, keep going beyond it, right through that brush! You see that brush right in front of you…?’ she said; her voice a little less confident than usual.  
‘Yeah, we see the brush, what's beyond that?’  
‘Beyond what?’  
Over the radio they could hear the rifling of pages as Natasha turned the map.  
‘Beyond what?!’ Bucky exclaimed.  
‘The BRUSH, ROMANOFF!! A brick wall, a bearded lady, what?’ Steve cried; frustrated as the brush ahead grew closer and closer.  
‘It's the highway; it's the highway for god’s sake!’ Natasha snapped into the radio.  
Bucky took a deep breath and drove on.  
They couldn’t see anything all around them except rows and rows of corn. The field seemed never ending. Frustrated, Bucky pulled his sunglasses off and flung them onto the dashboard before grabbing the radio.  
‘Where's the road Natasha?’  
‘Yeah, where is the road?’ they heard Sam ask.  
‘It should be any moment…’  
Suddenly the road was there and Bucky slammed on the breaks as he swerved into the highway. Tires screeched as they almost collided with the line of black vans - Rumlow’s crew. Horns blared into life as the rest of the team followed onto the road.  
The radio crackled again and Rumlow’s voice shouted through.  
‘You’re insane Barnes! What are you trying to do, get somebody killed?!’  
‘Oh, really Rumlow?’ Bucky shot back, sarcastically. ‘It was so nice of you to stop back there and make sure we were all right!’    
Steve grabbed the radio from him as Bucky continued to shout.  
‘IT WAS VERY CONSIDERATE OF YOU! HOW COULD YOU SEE TEN PEOPLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOT STOP?!’  
‘Okay, okay, okay, okay!!! Keep the channel clear…’ Steve said trying to calm the situation.  
Bucky was fuming; all his pent up energy coming out in a wave of anger towards Rumlow. Steve looked over at him. It was usually him who flew off the handle. Bucky was usually the calmer of the two but there was just something about Rumlow that made his blood boil. Bucky pressed down on the accelerator, putting as much distance between them and Rumlow as he could.  
‘You alright?’ Steve asked.  
‘I’m fine. He’s an asshole.’  
‘Well you ain’t wrong there,’ Steve said.  
Bucky let out a little laugh; Steve grinned at him.  
‘Let’s do this.’  
   
———  
   
The afternoon sky was growing dark again; the impending threat of a tornado thick in the atmosphere. They could almost feel it. Steve watched as the clouds moved; the airflow shifting ever so slightly above them.  
‘We’re gonna have to get off of this road,’ Steve said.  
‘What? This is no time to guess,’ Bucky replied.  
‘I’m not guessing. Just make a right turn. Trust me.’  
‘Do you want to drive?’  
‘Just turn!’  
Bucky turned sharply into another dirt road; the team following steadily behind. Steve looked behind them to see Rumlow’s team driving on. Not following.  
‘We've got a touchdown!’ Wanda said, suddenly.  
‘We got a touchdown, touchdown, tornado is on the ground,’ Scott confirmed.  
‘Where is it?’  
‘Looks like it's coming down route 33!’  
‘Bucky, we're on 33!’ Steve told him; checking the map he had spread out over the dashboard.  
‘What's the path?’ Bucky said; gripping the radio tight.  
‘It's going about 35 miles an hour,’ Wanda replied.  
Bucky continued driving. Steve leaned forward, looking all around for some sign of the twister. The sky was so dark Bucky had to turn on the headlights.  
‘Can you see this?’ Natasha asked.  
‘I cannot see this. Where is it? Hel-lo?!’ Scott replied.  
‘Where you guys looking?’  
Steve turned to Bucky who shook his head in response. They couldn’t see anything. Steve grabbed the radio again.  
‘Where?’ he asked. ‘What direction?’  
‘North, northeast,’ Natasha told them.  
They both searched the sky, finding nothing.  
‘Do you see it?’ Steve asked; hoping Bucky has spotted something.  
‘No.’  
‘Have you got any thing up there?’ Steve asked into the radio again.  
‘North, northeast, you copy?’ Natasha repeated.  
Steve scanned the sky again.  
Then it hit him.  
‘Shit, it's comin' right at us.’  
‘Actually, she's gone vertical, gone vertical. This sucker's really gainin' strength,’ Sharon chimed in.  
‘D'you see it?’ Bucky asked.  
‘No. I can’t…’  
Frustration was mounting inside him as Steve turned to the radio again.  
‘Sharon, we don't have a visual. Repeat, we do not have a visual! Help us out, here!’  
‘Where the hell is it?’ Bucky asked.  
There was a slight pause before Sharon’s replied.  
‘Yeah, I got it Steve. It's the best motion I've ever seen! It's like the base of this fatty is about half a mile wide.’  
‘Nat?’  
‘If you're goin' east on 7, it should be coming right over that hill in a matter of minutes!’  
‘This is the one, man. I feel it,’ Scott said.  
They drove on; the horizon so dark up ahead.  
‘It's gotta be there,’ Steve said; looking all around but still seeing nothing in sight.  
‘Maybe it's stalled,’ Bucky said.  
‘No, I think Nat’s right.’ Steve said his eyes focused on the road ahead; the sky thick and dark; clouds hanging low. ‘It's gonna show it's ugly face right over that hill. Buck, what do you think?’  
Bucky considered it for a moment. Steve knew he was thinking the same as he was. The way this was building it was gonna be a big one. Everything was leading up to it. Bucky nodded.  
‘Time for deployment, guys, let's do it!’ Bucky said.  
Cheers erupted over the radio. The crew began to fall back; pulling to a stop, ready to set up all the equipment as Bucky drove on them on; heading right into the storm.  
The heavens opened up again and hail hammered down onto them.  
‘Okay, we got hail,’ Steve said into the radio.  
‘Hail. We got hail.’  
It was more than hail. Golf ball sized chunks of ice thundered down onto them. The noise was insane, clattering loudly on the roof of the truck.  
‘Upflow, Sharon, we have upflow, copy?!’ Bucky asked into the radio.  
‘Yeah, I'm checkin' it, I'm checkin' it; she's almost up!’  
‘Steve, right now, this is it,’ Bucky said turning to look at him.  
Steve smiled and nodded.  
‘I'll get her ready.’  
Unfastening his seatbelt, he slid open the back window and squeezed himself through. Hail pelted down on him.  
‘Ouch shit!’ he cried as he was pummelled by the ice.  
Steve moved as quickly as he could; lifting his jacket over his head and shielding himself as best he could.  
‘Are you okay?!’ Bucky yelled out.  
Steve went back to the window. Worry was plastered over Bucky’s face as he flicked back and forth between the road ahead and Steve.  
‘I’m fine! Keep going!’ Steve told him.  
Bucky looked at him; jaw tense, but he nodded and drove on. Steve went back to Dorothy; fumbling with the wet controls. He flicked on each of the switches; his fingers already going numb from the biting wind.  
He moved around the side of Dorothy; his feet slipping on the wet truck bed. The straps were soaked as well; his numb fingers finding no purchase on them as he tried to get them loose.  
‘C’mon!’ he muttered as he fought with the clasps on the straps.  
Louder clatters filled the air as debris kicked up by the twister hurtled at them. Steve could hear Bucky yelling from inside the cab.  
‘Debris! We have debris!’  
Steve moved faster; finally releasing one of the straps on moving onto the next. He went as fast as he possibly could; desperate to get each one free and onto the next.  
‘Yes!’ Steve shouted as the last strap slipped free and he skidded his way back to the control panel flicking on the last of the switches. Dorothy lit up. Red blinking lights gleaming bright in the darkness creeping over them.  
‘How’s it going back there?’ He heard Bucky call out.  
‘Okay, she's almost ready!’ Steve yelled back.  
‘Hold on, we're almost there, we're almost there!’  
Steve looked over the truck up ahead. He could see it now: the twister black as smoke, swirling down to the ground right in their line of path.  
They were being pummelled hard; wind, rain, hail and debris flying at them. A tree branch whipped into Steve but he just brushed it off himself.  
Bucky slowed the truck as a fishing boat soared over them. Steve’s pulse raced as he watched the boat crash against the ground to the left of them only for the wind to pick up the pieces; scattering it into the air again. Bucky began picking up speed.  
‘WHOOOAAAAAA! Stop, this is fine!!!’ Steve yelled slamming his hand down on the roof of the cab to make himself heard.  
‘Wait, we got to get closer - just a little closer!’  
‘STOP, BUCKY!!’  
An ear slitting crunch rang through the air and Bucky slammed on the breaks thrusting Steve into the back of the cab. Rubbing his shoulder Steve looked through the window to see a tricycle smashed into the windshield; the glass a spider web of cracks.  
‘Okay, that's close enough!’ Bucky said sounding a little startled.  
‘Ow, fuck!’ Steve moaned as he righted himself; his shoulder aching where it had smashed into he truck.  
He ignored it and pushed himself to move. He was already on the road when Bucky rounded the truck and they both moved to pull Dorothy down; the tornado looming overhead; the sound of its rolling growl getting louder as it crept closer to them.  
Wind and rain pounded them as they fumbled with the truck.  
‘Okay, hurry, get the tailgate!’ Steve said.  
‘You got it?!’  
‘Yeah, she's all set, help me get her down! Hurry! Let’s move!’  
Steve reached up to unhook Dorothy. They both jolted up in alarm as a loud crash sounded ahead of them. A fireball at the base of the twister flared up and disappeared again into the wall of wind. Whatever had crashed, gone again in seconds; sucked up into the funnel.  
‘Steve hurry!’ Bucky insisted.  
Steve struggled again with the remaining straps; his numb fingers unable work against the rain-slick clasps.  
‘Damn! We gotta go now, come on!’ Steve said as he unsuccessfully tried again to get Dorothy unlatched from the truck. He could feel the twister almost upon them; the howling wind growing louder and louder.  
‘We can do this!’ Bucky yelled, moving to help him.  
Then Steve heard the crack. He grabbed Bucky quickly; pulling him away as the telephone pole beside them gave an ominous creak and came crashing down. Sparks flew in the air as it smashed onto Dorothy, knocking her onto the road; the sensors spilling out over the asphalt.  
‘STEVE!’  
‘GET DOWN, LOOK OUT! C’MON HURRY!’ Steve yelled to him as Bucky cried out; watching Dorothy crash onto the road.  
Bucky twisted himself free of Steve’s grip and gaped at the wreckage left by the pole.  
Steve made to grab him again. They needed to move. It was coming right for them.

Then…quiet again. The tornado was gone.

‘Where…where'd it go? Where is it?!!’ Steve said looking around.  
There was no sign of it - just an eerie quiet hanging over them. He could hear the radio from inside the cab now.  
‘What's going on?!! Aw, aw, I don't believe this!!! What the hell?!’ Natasha asked.  
Bucky readjusted the wireless headset but he didn’t reply; still just staring down at the mess spilled over the road at their feet. Steve approached him, disappointment flooding through him as he grew level. Dorothy was wrecked. There was no chance of repair this time.  
‘What's the Doppler say?’ Sam asked.  
‘I, I…’  
‘The cone is silent,’ Wanda added.  
A rumble of thunder sounded overhead.  
‘Bucky, Steve, it's over! The thing was stable, and then…then it was gone.’ Sam told them dejectedly.  
Steve stood beside Bucky looking down at the scattered sensors; another failed attempt. Steve was just about to reassure Bucky when he heard it: the loud growl of a tornado. He turned on his heel; eyes searching the sky for any sign of the twister.  
‘It's back Steve!’ he heard Bucky say.  
‘It's not through yet!’ Steve said turning back to him. ‘You’re right it's backbuilding! We’ve got a jumper here!’  
‘Tasha, it's backbuilding, we've got to track it!’ Bucky said; readjusting the headset again.  
‘Yeah, Barnes, we know. Data's incomplete, I think you should get out of there, you copy?’  
Steve made to get back in the truck but Bucky scrambled for the fallen sensors.  
‘Steve, help. Stevie, help me!’ he cried, ripping off his jacket; pilling the sensors onto it.  
‘Buck, we should leave!’  
‘No, no ,no. Help me. Help me!’  
Desperation was thick in voice as Bucky struggled to gather as many sensors as he could, but it was pointless. Dorothy was beyond repair.  
‘Forget the sensors; we've got to get out of here now!! It's gonna drop!’ Steve said, hurrying over to him.  
‘Tasha will see if it drops; if it's anywhere near us…’ Bucky yelled, still scrambling on the ground.  
‘It's not gonna drop anywhere near us, it's gonna drop right on us!’ Steve told him.  
‘Steve, turn this- wait, wait, wait!! No, Steve!’ Bucky screamed as Steve grabbed him and pulled him up and away towards the truck. ‘No, no, no, no, no! Go back!!’  
They struggled but Steve finally got Bucky into the truck and himself into the driver’s seat.  
‘Forget it, Buck, forget it!!’  
‘Go back, it's not too late!!’ Bucky cried as Steve put the truck in reverse and backed away. ‘Go back!!’  
‘Forget it, it's too late!!’ Steve repeated.  
The words sounded hollow as Bucky became more frantic, jerking the door open and jumping out; running back and picking up the sensors once more.  
The tornado was gone again. The only thing left was the rain coming down on them as Steve jumped from the truck himself.  
‘Help me! Help me!!!’ Bucky yelled.  
‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!’ Steve yelled back.  
‘HELP ME!!’  
‘Bucky, the pack's wasted, it's over!’ Steve said trying to get through to him, but it was useless.  
Steve watched as Bucky frantically tried to grab more of the sensors.  
‘WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?! WE CAN STILL DO THIS!!’ Bucky shouted. Steve had never seen him like this. He was like a different person.  
‘Jesus Christ, listen to yourself, you're obsessed!’ Steve said as he tried to grab Bucky again.  
Bucky stood up straight; glaring at Steve.  
‘You've never seen what that thing can do, so don't even talk to me about it...’ Bucky yelled, getting in Steve face; his voice cracking as he pushed at his chest.  
‘I just saw it…’ Steve said quietly.  
Bucky stopped moving. The only sound now was the rain as it splashed onto the road around them. They were inches apart as Bucky brushed his wet hair off his face; his grey eyes filled with panic and urgency.  
‘You've never seen it miss this house, and miss that house, and come after you!’ Bucky said.  
Steve stopped; his heart sinking at Bucky’s words. The realisation hit as he remembered what had driven Bucky all these years; what had pushed him into chasing in the first place and why it was never going to be over for him. Bucky had been on this path since he was six years old and that F5 had ripped his father away from him. Steve stared at him; his rain soaked hair and wild eyes begging for him, Steve, to understand. He wasn’t sure he ever could.  
‘Christ, Buck, is that what you think it did?’ Steve asked.  
‘I don't know,’ Bucky muttered; turning away sharply.  
‘Bucky, you need to let this go.’  
‘You don't understand, okay? You'll never know.’ Bucky said, turning back to face him.  
Steve took another step forward and Bucky began to walk away again.  
‘When's it gonna be enough, huh?! How close do you have to get..’ Steve called after him.  
Bucky didn’t stop. Steve surged forward grabbing Bucky by the arm.  
‘Talk to me!’  
He pulled Bucky around so they were face to face again; Bucky’s eyes no longer full of panic and urgency - just a deep sadness.  
‘Buck, things go wrong - you can't explain it, you can't predict it. Killing yourself won't bring your dad back. I'm sorry he died, but it was a long time ago. You’ve gotta move on. Stop living in the past and look at what you've got right in front of you!’  
‘What are you saying?’ Bucky asked quietly.  
‘Me, Buck,’ Steve paused. ‘To the end of the line remember?’  
   
———  
The gravel crunched under his boots as he walked across the lot; the bright light of the drive-in cinema screen gleaming against the dark night sky, and lightning flashing in the distance behind it. Natasha was sat in the door way of her van, her red hair blowing lightly in the wind.  
‘Hey,’ Bucky hailed her.  
Natasha looked up from the papers in her hand; a frown etched onto her brow.  
‘I’ve got the latest data from NSSL,’ she said, handing him a sheet. ‘The gate velocities are maxed out. If those two cells converge…’  
Bucky scanned over it quickly.  
‘I need more coffee before I can deal with this,’ Bucky muttered.  
‘You alright?’ Natasha asked.  
‘Yeah just tired.’  
‘Mmhmm.’  
Bucky knew she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t press and he was thankful. It was one of the things he loved about Tasha - she would wait until he went to her whenever there was something bothering him; she never fussed at him. He gave her back the papers and, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets, he headed over to the diner.  
A tv played quietly in the background and the smell of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes filled the air as he went in.  
‘Hi could I get ten coffees to go please?’ he asked when he reached the counter.  
‘Ten?’ the server asked, surprised.  
‘Yeah, and have you got a pen I could borrow?’  
The waitress nodded and handed over her pen before going off to make up Bucky’s order. He pulled the divorce papers from his back pocket; they were pretty rumpled. He unfolded them, smoothing them out as best he could and flipped through the pages until he found the one he hadn’t signed.  
Steve had given him one day and it was up. They hadn’t made Dorothy fly. It was over. He scrawled his signature on the line, finalising his divorce from Steve. His heart felt heavy as he folded the paper back up and tucked it into his pocket.  
The door chimed lightly as it opened and closed again. Steve appeared beside him.  
‘Two coffees to go please,’ he told the waitress. ‘Long day.’  
‘Uh-huh,’ Bucky replied, trying to avoid idle chit-chat. He wished the waitress would hurry up so he could get out of there. Although the signed papers where there in his pocket, the last thing he wanted to do was give them to Steve. If he could put it off, even for a minute, he would.  
‘You know, I've been thinking about the sensors,’ Steve said, suddenly. ‘The way they scattered out there today on the highway - I'm starting to wonder if the funnel will carry them like we thought.’  
Bucky glanced at him; his brow furrowing.  
‘Too light?’  
‘I don't know, maybe the whole thing's too light.’ Steve said; his brows knitted together the way they always did when he was thinking.  
‘What can we do about that?’  
‘I'm not sure.’  
They fell back into silence, both lost in thought. The waitress brought over Steve’s two coffees and assured Bucky his would be ready soon.  
Bucky wasn’t paying any attention to her though - instead he was looking at the TV. The picture was gone, replaced by static. Alarm bells rang loudly inside of him. Steve must’ve noticed as well, as they both turned to look out of the window.  
The door opened again as another customer stepped outside and they heard the wind softly howling. Bucky walked over to the door, stood in the doorway he watched the sky. The wind was getting louder.  
Bucky didn’t even notice Clint running towards him as he watched the sky light up with lightning; thunder cracking loudly.  
‘BARNES! IT'S COMING!!! THE DOPPLER, MAN! IT’S HEADED RIGHT FOR US!!’ He yelled as grew closer.  
Bucky turned to find Steve right behind him.  
‘It's already here. EVERYBODY UNDERGROUND NOW!!’ Steve said eyes wide.  
The air suddenly filled with the sound of tornado sirens. Bucky, Steve and Clint hurried out into the open; Steve calling back into the diner, telling everyone to get to shelter.  
Bucky stopped to watch the sky a few steps in front of the diner. He could see it now; the massive dark shape moving across the navy sky.  
‘Steve!’ Melissa screamed as approached them.  
Steve grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the warehouse.  
‘Honey! Come on!’  
‘What's going…what…?’ She stuttered as they ran.  
The rumble was deafening as the wind picked up even more; gale force ripping through the area scattering paper and litter all around.  
‘Bucky! Bucky, C’mon!’ Steve yelled.  
Bucky was stood transfixed, staring at the tornado as it was illuminated by the lightning; its funnel a dark silhouette. The wind getting stronger; whipping Bucky’s hair across his face, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t take his eyes off the dark shadow creeping in on them.  
Another loud crack of thunder and flash of lightning and Bucky finally snapped out of it; turning his back on it and yelling at anyone still lingering around.  
‘GET UNDERGROUND, TAKE COVER RIGHT NOW, LET'S GO!’  
They all ran for the warehouse. Bucky slowed his pace, looking around to make sure everyone was getting to safety.  
‘The doors!! Close the Doors!! Doors! Doors!!’ Clint screamed as the others reach the warehouse.  
They were pulling the doors closed as Steve realised Bucky was still outside, and he turned back.  
‘Steve!’ Clint called after him.  
Bucky saw Steve coming towards him as he saw the waitress from earlier running over. Bucky urged her on ahead of him and took one last sweeping look around the lot as Steve guided her in through the door.  
‘Get inside. BUCK COME ON!’ He shouted.  
Bucky could barely hear him through the wind now. He took a step towards the barn when he saw him – Peter - hiding under the steering wheel of his car. Bucky ran over as fast as he could.  
‘What are you doing, come back!!’ he heard Steve call after him.  
‘Come on, take my hand.’ Bucky said as he reached the car.  
‘I can’t…’ Peter squeaked; curled into a ball with his hands over his ears.  
‘Take my hand!!’  
He stalled for a few seconds; fear holding him in place, then Peter was nodding and scrambling towards Bucky. He grabbed Bucky’s hand and let himself be pulled out. Together they make a run for it, sprinting towards the door where Steve was waiting.  
Behind them people are screaming as they run for cover; the twister inching closer and closer. A loud crack had Bucky looking over his shoulder and he watched the drive-in screen torn away from its stand, panel by panel; being swallowed by the darkness of the twister coming up behind it.  
‘Come on!! Hurry!! Go! Let's go!’ Steve said, ushering them inside.  
Once they were in Clint rolled the door closed.  
The warehouse was more of a garage: car parts and equipment littered the area; a pit in the floor which mechanics would use to see the underbelly of cars was the only place for them to go.  
‘Everybody down in the pit! Get down! Let's go, everybody down! Bucky, move, c’mon’!’ Steve yelled, ushering them down into the pit where the rest of them were already huddled.  
They squashed in together close; curled up; almost foetal; making themselves as small as possible.  
Bucky’s heart hammered in his chest as they waited…waited for the hit.  
Then the whole warehouse began to shake. Someone screamed as every window imploded with a loud pop showering them in glass. Bucky flung his metal arm up, shielding himself as glass rained down on them.  
‘STAY CALM!’ Steve shouted.  
The warehouse shook harder, wind now pouring in through the broken windows. The screeching growls of the wind mixed with the creaking of the warehouse walls seem to smother them as they huddle together. The jarring sound of metal on metal made Bucky look up to see the roof panels begin the pull loose. One by one they groaned against the their holdings before ripping free; some flying away completely; the others flapping in the wind like paper.  
The wind was now ripping through both the open roof and smashed windows; sending bits of debris flying across the warehouse. More screams filled the air as things flew into and across the pit where they hid.  
Suddenly, something slammed into a high pressure water hose causing it to come loose from its latch and begin to fly around wildly. The hose whipped violently through the air and Wanda screamed as it almost hit her. Pietro stood up, using his quick reflexes to grab the hose.  
‘I got it, I got it!’ he shouted holding it up; victorious.  
Then out of nowhere, a hub cap flew through the air. It shot through like a bullet, skimming over Pietro’s forehead, leaving a deep gash. Bucky shot forward and pulled him back down to the ground, placing his hand over the cut to stem the bleeding.  
‘My head!’  
‘You're okay.’ Bucky assured him.  
He looked over to the other side where Wanda was watching them, her face drained of colour.  
‘He’s okay.’ Bucky told her.  
Clint put his arm around her, comforting her as she stared at her injured brother.  
Everyone around him was terrified, huddled together as the tornado raged above them. Bucky looked around, his eyes finally landing on Steve. Melissa was screaming into his chest. Steve’s jaw was tight and he, along with Bucky seemed to be the only one holding their composure.  
Another ear splitting crash came from above and a car rammed through the roof, followed by the neon sign for the drive-in crashing on top of it. Even Bucky cried out as they all squashed themselves in further to the ground and sides of the pit away from the car as it smashed through; only just coming to a stop above their heads. Bucky curled himself over Pietro as debris and sparks showered down over them, the car hovering dangerously close above.  
‘It's okay, honey! It'll be okay!’ he could hear Steve yelling as Melissa screamed louder again.  
‘This is insane! I hate this! I hate this! I can’t do this anymore!’ she cried as Steve pulled her in closer.  
‘It’s okay. Stay calm. It’ll be over soon.’  
   
———  
   
Another police car pulled up into the lot as Sam pulled the warehouse doors open and they saw the wreckage left by the tornado.  
The whole place was in ruins.  
Cars had been upturned and slammed into buildings; people were wandering around or being helped by the emergency services that had arrived minutes before. As Steve picked his way through the debris left behind, the team were already gathering up their things. Thankfully none of their trucks had been hit too badly. Peter’s front window had been smashed but he was already loading his things into Scott’s truck. Clint was sat in his camper, headphones held up to his ear as he listened to the reports while tracking the radar.  
‘Is that what it was like up on that hill?’ Melissa asked.  
Steve had barely noticed her stood beside him.  
‘That? No,’ Natasha said as she passed. ‘We were lucky. Those were just down drafts and microbursts. Tornado just side swept us.’  
She continued on; headed over to Clint with Bucky hot on her heels.  
Steve followed.  
‘Can you tell which way it's headed?’ Bucky asked.  
Clint was scanning a map as he replied.  
‘It's backing northeast. It's um…’ he paused looking up at Bucky; his voice thick. ‘It looks to hit Wakita head on.’  
Steve stomach dropped. Peggy.  
‘I'm goin'. I'm goin', let's go, let's go!’ Bucky cried, frantically running off.  
‘We're going!’ Clint yelled; hoisting himself into his camper.  
‘Bucky, wait!’ Steve said, chasing after him.  
‘Where's the phone?!’ Bucky demanded as he rummaged in the front of Sam’s truck.  
‘The lines are down, I already tried,’ Sam told him.  
‘We're going.’ Bucky said, looking at Sam who just nodded grimly.  
Then he looked at Steve and the expression on his face was all Steve needed; any hesitation he had felt was gone in an instant.  
‘Damn it. Hang on, I'll drive.’  
‘Hey, Bucky, look - we can jump on the 38 exchange and cross highway 132.’ Natasha said, hurrying over; a map in her hands.  
Steve walked back over to Melissa who had stopped beside Clint’s camper.  
‘Hey, honey, I gotta go.’  
‘I'm goin' back,’ she replied.  
‘Good, good, you'll be safe at the motel. I'll see you in the morning.’ Steve said almost absentmindedly, he looked back over at Bucky who was going over the map with Natasha.  
‘I won't be there,’ Melissa said, quietly; calmly.  
‘What?’ Steve said, turning back to Melissa; shocked. ‘Why? What are you saying?’  
Shaking her dark, rumpled curls back from her face, Melissa took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eyes.  
‘I'm saying goodbye.’  
‘No..’ Steve began.  
He didn’t know what to say.  
‘You know, I can't compete with this. I don't even know where to start.’ Melissa said as Scott hurried by.  
‘Wait, don't do this now, please. Please!’ Steve begged.  
‘Sooner or later it would have ended, we both know that.’ Melissa told him; a resigned smile on her face.  
‘Please…’  
She glanced away; looking around her at the debris and wrecked cars in the lot. When she finally looked back at him, Melissa gave a small shrug.  
‘The funny thing is, I'm not that upset. What does that mean?’  
Steve looked at her. The truth was he knew exactly what she meant.  
‘I never meant for any of this to happen.’ Steve said.  
He didn’t. Melissa was a good person. They’d been good. He did care about her, maybe even loved her… but she wasn’t…  
‘I know, Steve, I know. It's okay.’ Melissa said, reassuringly patting his arm.  
Steve looked at her unsure of what to do or say. He hadn’t prepared for this.  
‘Rogers, come on!’ Sam shouted.  
‘You go ahead.’ Melissa said; motioning towards Bucky. ‘He needs you. I hope Aunt Peggy's okay.’  
‘What about you?’ Steve asked; at a loss as to what else to say.  
Melissa smiled and waved her hand, dismissively.  
‘Oh, don't worry about me. I know my way home.’  
Steve watched as Melissa walked away; away from him and their relationship. If he was being honest, when he really thought about it, it didn’t surprise him. Today had been crazy. She’d been thrust into this world and it hadn’t been what she’d thought. He hadn’t been what she’d thought.  
Sam called out to him again and Steve turned his back on her too. He had come out here to end a relationship once and for all. Only it hadn’t been the one he was expecting.  
   
———  
   
The sign to Wakita lay on its side, the wind wobbling it slightly as they drew closer. Everything was destroyed. Bonfires glowed brightly amongst the wreckage that was left behind; where houses once stood lay piles of rubble; street lamps leaned in at odd angles across the skyline. The air was filled with the sound of sirens and people crying. They were too late.  
‘Oh my god,’ Steve said as they drove in.  
He took it slow as they crept along the road, making sure not to hit one of the many Wakita residents wandering around aimlessly.  
‘They had no warning.’ Bucky said; his jaw clenched tightly as he saw a family hugging each other at the side of the road.  
Steve looked over to see the parents hugging their little boy close to them. He reached over gripping Bucky’s arm lightly, knowing all too well how heart-rippingly familiar it all must be to him.  
Then they saw it: Peggy’s house.  
‘Oh my god.’  
The house had been compacted into one storey; smashed down where it sat and devastation surrounding it. Only the wind sculptures stood; their light tinkling sounding eerie in the ruins.  
Bucky didn't even wait for Steve to stop before he jumped out of the truck and ran for the house.  
‘Bucky, Wait!’ Steve yelled running after him.  
Bucky was already climbing up the rubble onto what had been the porch roof. The wood creaked ominously as Steve made his own way up to wear Bucky stood.  
‘Aunt Peg?!’ Bucky called out through the window.  
‘Bucky, wait!!’ Steve said as he drew closer to him.  
Bucky ignored him; raising both hands to his mouth to yell through the ruined window.  
‘PEGGY!!’  
‘Careful, this house could go any second.’ Steve warned him.  
‘PEGGY!’  
‘Bucky, here take a flashlight!' Steve said, handing it over before Bucky climbed into the house through the window.  
Steve followed.  
The house was now a labyrinth of debris. Carefully they picked their way through, trying hard to to disturb any of the wreckage.  
‘PEGGY?!!’ Bucky called out again.  
‘This house is ready to go.’ Steve said as the walls around them seemed to groan in effort to stay up.  
His heart was pounding as they continued their search. A dresser toppled over as they walk past causing Bucky to jump.  
‘Careful.’  
Bucky steadied himself again.  
‘Peggy?!’  
‘Peggy?!’ Steve echoed.  
Suddenly, Bucky stopped dead; listening.  
‘Shhh! You hear that?’  
‘What?’ Steve asked, coming to a stop.  
‘I think I hear something.’  
They both went quiet, and then Steve heard it: the sound of a dog whimpering.  
‘Easy does it.’ Steve said as he and Bucky both began to move again; following the sound.  
The floor beneath them shuddered and crashed down an inch. Steve grabbed hold of Bucky, holding him steady as they inched forward; the floor creaking and cracking under their weight. With every move they made, another part of the house seemed to break apart. Bucky was tense all over as he finally reached the edge of a massive hole; shining his torch down, he could just make out the dog, George, at the bottom.  
‘Peggy?!’ Bucky shouted again.  
‘George, boy!’ Steve cried as he came up beside Bucky and saw the dog down there.  
George barked back up at them.  
‘George! I think she's down here. Peg? We're here! We're coming down!’ Bucky said, easing his way down; Steve following close behind.  
Peggy was lying on the floor, trapped under wall framing; her head and chest bleeding. George stood to one side, watching intently as Bucky and Steve carefully climbed through to reach her.  
‘Peggy!’ Steve said; relief flooding through him. ‘We gotta get this off of her.’  
Steve gripped the wall framing, using all his strength to pull it up.  
‘Don't move, don't move.’ Bucky told Peggy as he did his best to shield her and help Steve lift the framing off at the same time. ‘Watch her head, watch her head.’  
‘Go! I got it.’ Steve said, holding the framing up and dragging it away so Peggy was free.  
‘Easy…easy,’ Bucky murmured; gentle easing Peggy to sit. ‘Are you okay?’  
‘Oh, I'm all right... I'm fine.’ Peggy said nonchalantly.  
Her head was bleeding and she was covered in dust and plaster, but Bucky and Steve could see no other external injuries and Peggy was still in good spirits, despite being almost crushed by her house. Suddenly, from above them, the TV slid down towards them; whipping to a stop as the cord held it.  
‘Get down!’  
‘Oh shit!’  
They all covered heads and waited for the inevitable crash that never came. The cord held, but only just.  
‘We gotta go. Hurry! Let's go!’ Steve said, turning to Peggy. ‘Think you can walk?’  
Suddenly the cord snapped and the TV crashed to the floor; smashing into a post that was one of the last things holding up the house.  
‘Watch out!’ Steve yelled; diving to cover Bucky and Peggy as the house shifted, causing more debris to crash in around them.  
Outside, everyone else watched as the house began to buckle under itself.  
‘PEGGY!!! PEG!!’ Clint yelled as he and Sam both ran forward, rushing up to the window Steve and Bucky had climbed through.  
‘Careful!!’ Natasha yelled after them.  
‘Steve?!’ Sam called into the window as Clint made to go in after them.  
He was halfway through when he saw the flashlight; Steve and Bucky carrying Aunt Peggy through the house slowly.  
‘We're okay, we're coming out!’ Bucky said.  
‘Get an ambulance over here!’ Steve called out.  
‘Get an ambulance, Peter, Now!! Go!!’ Sam yelled helping Steve ease Peggy through the window.  
Peter ran off to flag down an ambulance.  
‘Okay, okay,’ Peggy said as they helped her climb down from the house.  
‘How 'bout some steak and eggs!’ Scott said jokingly; causing Bucky to shoot him a dirty look but Peggy just laughed  
‘How nice of you all to come over,’ she said as they all surrounded her; making sure she got down safely. ‘Steve! Grab George for me, I think he's a little shaken up!’ Peggy said  
‘Don't worry I'll get him.’ Steve assured her as he climbed back through the window. ‘George!’  
They had just reached the bottom of the rubble as an ambulance pulled over, a paramedic hopping out. They got Peggy over to it and eased up onto a stretcher.  
‘There you go.’ Sharon said helping Peggy lie back.  
‘Is she okay?’ Bucky asked the paramedic who, with the help of T’Challa, had wheeled her over to the ambulance.  
‘We'll probably keep her overnight, just to be safe,’ he told Bucky.  
‘Overnight? Forget it. I'm all right,’ Peggy insisted.  
‘You're going to the hospital,’ Bucky told her.  
Peggy huffed as she resisted the hands trying to coax her to lie down.  
‘Okay, I'll go, but I'm gonna drive myself.’ Peggy said defiantly.  
T’Challa leaned down, placing his hand gently on Peggy’s shoulder; his expression, deeply apologetic.  
‘Peg, your car is in a tree around the corner,’ he said.  
Peggy’s eyes widened in shock; all resistance suddenly leaving her as she sank back onto the gurney with a soft:  
‘Oh...’  
Clint waited at the bottom of the collapsed roof as Steve edged his way down, the dog in his arms.  
‘Sshh it’s alright pal.’ Clint said soothingly to the dog as he took it from Steve’s arms.  
Just as Steve let go, the house creaked ominously one last time before completely collapsing in on itself. Loud crashes filled the air as it crumpled fully, leaving only a pile of broken pieces behind.  
Peggy groaned, dropping her head back against the stretcher.  
‘We’re gonna have to start calling him Lucky.’ Clint said as he let the dog down onto the ground.  
   
   
The team lingered around Peggy’s house, sorting out their gear they had haphazardly thrown together as they rushed back to Wakita. Not quite ready to leave yet, Aunt Peggy was being treated in the ambulance and Bucky was wandering around; a loss at what to do. He felt helpless as he looked over the wreckage that had been Peggy’s house.  
Looking back over to the ambulance he saw the paramedic packing up his kit and Bucky made his way over. In the back of his camper, Clint was sat with Peggy’s dog at his feet, listening to the radio.  
_‘…The F4 that hit Wakita has now moved on to the north-east, I've just gotten word in that an even stronger tornado has now started to form 25 miles south of Wakita, but right now the two storm systems are funnelling back. The National Weather Service is saying that this is highly unusual and they are saying that this tornado could be the strongest in the state in more than 30 years…’_  
Bucky didn’t pay it much attention as he walked by. At that moment he really didn’t care about the forecast. He climbed up into the back where Peggy was sat, now sporting a bandage around her head and a wrist brace.  
‘Hey,’ she greeted him in surprise. ‘What're you doin’?'  
‘I wanna see how you are,’ Bucky said. ‘I was worried about you.’  
‘She’s doing okay,’ the paramedic assured him before leaving them alone.  
‘Oh, look at this...’ Bucky said, gently lifting Peggy’s wrist and looking it over.  
Peggy gently pulled her hand away and tried to wave him off; pulling her arm back every time Bucky made to touch it. She hated fuss and even more, she hated people trying to take care of her. Aunt Peggy was the most badass lady Bucky had ever known; determined to power through every obstacle that came her way, regardless of what it was.  
‘It's nothing. He says I have a bump on the head, and maybe a broken wrist…’ Peggy told him.  
‘Let me see that.’ Bucky said reaching for her wrist again but Peggy avoided his grasp.  
‘There's nothing to see, it doesn't even hurt,’ she said, waving it about.  
‘I'm sorry I wasn't there.’ Bucky said quietly.  
Peggy stopped trying to avoid his grasp and looked at him; eventually reaching for his hand.  
‘Stop blaming yourself. You got me out of the house.’  
Bucky’s eyes swam with tears. He couldn’t help thinking…if they’d just been there…if they hadn’t gone chasing that last twister, they would have still been in Wakita; they could have helped so many people get to safety before the tornado hit. Instead, he had been miles away and Aunt Peg had been hurt. It could have been so much worse and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Bucky didn’t know how he could have lived with himself if he’d lost Aunt Peggy in the same way he’d lost his dad.  
‘James,’ Peggy said, gently. ‘It's got to stop. I didn't have any warning - the sirens went off a few seconds before it hit. I didn't even get down the stairs.’  
Clint appeared at the ambulance door.  
‘Bucky. I'm sorry, uh, I was listening to the radio, and…I mean…I don't even know if you wanna know, but I…it's happening, the NSSL's predicted an F5.’  
Bucky looked down; his mind swimming. Peggy gripped his hand.  
‘James, it could have happened to somebody else. You…you go stop it.’ she said; looking at him.  
‘I don't know how,’ Bucky said; wiping the tears from his eyes.  
‘Well, I think you do. You've been chasing these things since you were a little kid. It's what you do. Go. Do it.’ Peggy said, sternly.  
Bucky looked up at her. His Aunt Peggy had always been the driving force behind him: pushing him to do the things he wanted to do; encouraging him at all times. Even now as they sat surrounded by destruction, she was there.

 

   
Steve watched as Bucky climbed out of the ambulance and headed over to where Natasha was sat, going over the readouts. Every one of Steve’s instincts wanted to go to him; to pull Bucky into his arms and give him the comfort he needed. Instead, Steve continued to help clear the road of debris; making a clear path for the emergency services to get through.  
Once they were done Steve headed over to the ambulance.  
‘That’s the road clear. You guys should be able to get out this way now,’ He told the paramedic.  
‘Thanks a lot.’  
‘You mind giving me a minute with her?’ Steve asked; indicating to where Peggy sat.  
The paramedic nodded and Steve climbed up into the back of the ambulance.  
‘Steve,’ Peggy said; smiling as he sat down beside her.  
‘How you doing Peg?’  
‘Oh you know me. I’m not gonna let a bump on the head stop me,’ she told him.  
Steve was glad she was okay. Peggy had been a big part of his life while he was with Bucky.  
‘What are you doing here Steve?’  
‘Huh?’ Steve looked up at her.  
He hadn’t even realised he’d zoned out.  
 ‘I wanted to see how you were.’  
‘No. You’re avoiding my nephew.’  
‘I’m not avoiding Bucky.’  
‘Really?’ Peggy said; eyebrows raised. ‘Then why aren’t you with him? We both know you want to be.’  
‘It’s not as simple as that,’ Steve sighed.  
‘No? I noticed that fiancée of yours isn’t here. Sam said she left.’  
Steve groaned; scratching a hand through the back of his hair.  
‘Sam has a big mouth.’  
‘Steve…’  
‘Peggy it’s more complicated than that. Yes, Melissa left. Yes it’s over between us but that doesn’t mean I’m just gonna go back and beg for Bucky to take me back. Why the hell would he? I fucked up. I left, remember? Bucky and me…it was over a long time ago.’ Steve said, dropping his head into his hands.  
He’d been thinking about it the whole drive over. Melissa had been right that it wouldn’t have worked out in the long run. Not because he didn’t care for her, but because he had never really got over Bucky. He had told himself for the past three years that he didn’t love Bucky anymore but that simply wasn’t true. He’d been lying to himself. The moment he’d seen Bucky again, he’d known it.  
‘You’re always so dramatic. James never stopped loving you. That boy’s been besotted with you since he was 17 years old,’ Peggy said.  
Steve looked up at her.  
‘What do I do?’  
‘Go after with him,’ she insisted. ‘Finish this.’  
Peggy reached up with her uninjured hand and gently patted Steve’s cheek; her eyes full of affection. Steve loved her to pieces and knew she was right. He was meant to be wherever Bucky was; he was meant to finish what they’d started together and then…after that…maybe he would get a second chance.  
Bucky was stood facing the house as the ambulance pulled away; staring at Peggy's wind sculptures. They were the only things left standing.  
‘You all right?’ Steve asked; coming up beside him. ‘I thought you wanted to go to the hospital with Peggy.’  
Bucky didn’t respond; his eyes fixed on the sculptures.  
‘Bucky what is it?’  
The gentle chimes of the sculptures filled the air. It was an eerie sound - the light tinkling in the darkness of the night.  
‘I know how to make Dorothy fly,’ Bucky said at last; turning to look at Steve. Steve looked at him, then over at the sculptures; realisation hitting him in an instant.  
‘Of course…of course!’  
Moments later they headed back to the team.  
‘All right, I need every aluminium can you can find!’ Bucky announced.  
‘We need cutters and duct tape! T’Challa, Scott: I want to get the last Dorothys on the back of my truck, and I want everyone working on it.’ Steve said.  
   
———  
   
It amazed Bucky how quickly everyone pulled together - in less than an hour they were back on the road. Somehow they had managed to find a load of aluminium cans as they made their way towards the brewing storm. Clint had spent a considerable amount of time rummaging through dumpsters.  
As the sunrise gleamed deep orange across the sky, in the back of Scott’s van half the team were cutting pin-wheel fans out of the aluminium cans and screwing them onto the sensors. Their fingers were covered in cuts; band aids being passed around as they clipped and screwed as quickly as they could. Cars outside honked their horns loudly in warning as they passed in the opposite direction, speeding away from the F5 that loomed up ahead of the chasers. It was huge: a grey wall against the morning sky.  
‘Barton, you ready for us?’ Bucky asked into the radio.  
‘Yeah, yeah, we're good!’ Clint said, turning to the rest of the van who nodded in agreement. ‘We’re good? Very good!’  
They pulled to a stop not long after onto a lay-by on the highway.  
‘We get 'em done?’ Bucky asked; jumping out.  
‘I think so.’ Steve said as he climbed up along with Sam into the back of his truck where the remaining two Dorothys were strapped down.  
Peter, Clint, Natasha, and Scott pulled out boxes of sensors, now with the fans attached. Box after box, they passed them up and Steve and Sam dumped them back into Dorothy 3 and Dorothy 4.  
The idea had come to Bucky as he’d stood watching Peggy’s wind sculptures. Steve had said they needed something more for Dorothy to fly and he was right - the way the wind hit the wings of the sculptures was perfect. It would lift the sensors so easily. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it before.  
‘Okay, okay!’ Steve said; closing and securing the lids of the two Dorothys.  
‘Great job, guys. Just be ready to report.’ Steve said as he and Sam jumped down.    
‘Be careful, all right?’ Natasha said.  
‘Don't follow us close.’ Bucky warned as he started up the engine.  
They were going up against the big one; the last thing he needed was the others getting caught up in it.  
‘All right, you got it, boss,’ Scott said.  
‘Okay!’  
‘We're back in business!’ Clint said, grinning at them as Steve pulled out ahead; the others all hurrying back to their vans to follow.  
‘Half a mile more?’ Bucky asked; the twister looming dark to the left of them up ahead.  
It was massive: bigger than anything they’d seen before. Anticipation, fear, and adrenaline thrummed through Bucky as they drew closer.  
‘That's sounds right. I figure we'll put it right in the middle of the road,’ Steve agreed.  
‘Unless you think somebody'll hit it?’  
‘Nobody'll be there.’  
As the tornado approached, the road they were on the roar was deafening. Steve pulled the truck to a stop; both of them clambering out quickly. The tornado was on the road now, directly in front of them. Bucky rounded the truck as fast as he could; Steve doing the same and together they hoisted Dorothy 3 onto the road. The sound of the F5 was unlike anything he’d heard before; so deep and penetrating. He could almost feel it.  
‘Hurry! Let's go, c’mon!’ Steve said; flicking the switches on.  
The sirens blared into life; the lights flashing as they dragged it out into the road for the tornado to take.  
‘Okay, that's good!’ Steve yelled over the wind.  
‘You got it?’  
‘Let's go!’  
As they got back into the truck, Bucky grabbed the radio.  
‘Barton, you in position?’  
‘Yeah, we're prime, ready for contact!’ Clint replied.  
Steve turned the truck around and drove down a safe distance away.  
‘This is it. Steve, it's gonna work.’ Bucky said, edging forward in his seat.  
His hands were shaking in anticipation as they grew closer and closer.  
‘Just another minute, Barton!’ Bucky said, into the radio again.  
‘We're ready for it!’  
Bucky fumbled for the video camera then eased himself through his open window, twisting around to see the tornado getting closer and closer. Steve mimicked him on his side of the truck; both of them hanging out the sides of the truck, just waiting. Bucky’s stomach was in knots as they watched. Time seemed to slow as the wall of wind edged closer.  
Then Dorothy 3 began to slide across the road; back and forth.  
‘C’mon! C’mon! TAKE HER!’ Bucky yelled.  
‘It's too light..’  
‘NO IT'S NOT!!’  
She rolled back and forth across the road again as they watched.  
‘We're losing it!’ Steve said.  
‘No we're not! She can still fly!’ Bucky insisted.  
Everything in him was begging for it to happen; for it to work. He edged forward on his seat; waiting…waiting…  
His hopes were shattered the next second. An uprooted tree flew through the air and smashed into Dorothy 3 knocking her to the ground; the sensors scattering.  
‘Shit!’ Bucky groaned; closing his eyes as his heart sank.  
‘Get in!’ Steve yelled suddenly, and Bucky snapped open his eyes to see tree that had smashed through Dorothy 3 sliding towards them.  
As fast as they could they both slid back into the truck. Steve tried desperately to get the truck started but they weren’t fast enough. The tree crunched into them ramming itself under the truck; spinning it around so they were facing the twister again. Bucky could see it as it switched course, now coming directly at them.  
‘Oh my God…’ Bucky mumbled.  
‘C’mon!’ Steve yelled; trying to get the truck to move.  
‘Get us off this thing!’ Bucky cried.  
‘C’mon’!'  
‘Steve! Kick it!’ Bucky urged; panic flooding through him now.  
Steve tried again and again with the truck; shifting gear and slamming the gas pedal to no avail. The tires screeched loudly as Steve kept at it.  
‘What is that?!’ Bucky asked quietly.  
Steve stopped and looked up.  
‘What _is_ that?’  
Something metallic was glinting in the dark winds ahead.  
‘Steve, hurry,’ Bucky said in a frighteningly calm voice.  
Whatever that thing was it was big and Bucky was a little scared.  
‘Shit this is not good.’ Steve said; trying again to get the truck free from the tree.  
The screeching sounds of the tires only just managing to cut through the deep growl of the twister.  
Then they saw it: the thing was that was hurtling through the air; the metallic glint of a tank truck. Steve floored the truck again, but nothing.  
‘STEVE HURRY!’  
‘I’M TRYING!’  
Steve threw his whole bodyweight onto the gas pedal as the tank truck was thrown out of the twister and began sliding along the road right towards them.  
‘HOLD ON!!’ Steve yelled as the tank truck hit them.  
Bucky gripped onto the truck tightly as they were shunted and spun around; the force enough to push the truck free from the tree at last. Steve moved, quickly ramming the truck into gear and driving forward. Bucky watched as the tank truck was lifted into the air again.  
‘Let’s go!’  
Steve accelerated hard; getting them away from the twister that raged on behind them. Bucky didn’t even get the chance to feel relieved before the tank truck appeared again right in front of them; slamming into the road and exploding. Steve went to hit the brakes but it was too late - they were too close. Instead, Steve drove on, right through the wall of flames. Bucky sank back into his seat once they were out the other side; only to jump up again as a second explosion erupted behind them.  
‘Son of a bitch,’ Steve said looking over his shoulder.  
The radio blared into life.  
‘Steve, Bucky! You all right? Can you guys hear me? You okay?’ Natasha’s worried voice asked.  
Bucky grabbed the receiver.  
‘We’re okay,’ he said a little breathlessly.  
‘Did you guys see that explosion?’ Clint asked.  
Bucky looked over at Steve. His face glistened with sweat.  
‘We saw it,’ Bucky replied humourlessly.  
‘This one: she's still moving northeast on 80, you copy?’ T’Challa said; still tracking the twister.  
Steve turned to look at Bucky.  
‘This is it. Last one.’  
‘Last time,’ Bucky agreed.  
The tornado’s base must have been at least a mile wide now. Steve couldn’t even see it all anymore. They drove on steadily for around five minutes before they spotted them: Rumlow’s crew; the line of black vans driving right alongside the twister a little way ahead of them. The way they were headed, they would get there first.  
‘They had to be there somewhere,’ Steve said.  
He watched as one van sped on ahead of the others, making their move.  
‘They have position. They could make it,’ Steve said.  
‘Not unless they anchored the pack,’ Bucky said; looking over at Steve.  
They shared a look, silently agreeing that the need for success in this project was more important than it being them who did it. Bucky grabbed the radio again.  
‘Rumlow? This is Bucky. Can you hear me?’  
‘Not now, Barnes,’ Rumlow shot back.  
‘Rumlow, listen to me. The pack is too light - the twister will toss it before it reaches the core. You have to anchor it.’  
‘Oh, sharing valuable information, Barnes?’ Rumlow replied, flatly. ‘I’ll consider that, thank you.’  
‘Brock, listen to me! Don't be a…’ Bucky began, but Steve put his hand over the radio not taking his eyes off the twister. ‘What? Do you see them?’  
‘Rumlow, what's your position?’ Steve asked; taking the radio from Bucky.  
‘Oh, howdy, Rogers. We are heading northeast running parallel and about to pull ahead of it on the left. Why?’ Rumlow told him.  
‘Hang back a minute, we've got a pretty good view from back here. She could shift her track, and if she does, she's gonna come right at you! D'you copy?’  
‘Maybe we should do what he says. He's never put us in harm's way,’ Bucky heard Rumlow’s assistant Japer Sitwell say.  
‘When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you. Keep your mouth shut, put your foot on the gas, and stay on this heading.’ Rumlow snapped back; clearly unaware the radio channel was still open.  
Steve looked at Bucky. Something was wrong; it didn’t feel right. Bucky inched forward in his seat again, looking out over at where Rumlow and his team drove on alongside the twister. The air felt wrong. Steve could just make out where the funnel met the sky above; the wind shifting ever so slightly.  
‘Rumlow, listen to me. This is not…’ Steve tried again.  
‘Get off this frequency, Rogers!’ Rumlow retorted before finally turning off his radio.  
‘She's shifting,’ Bucky said; confirming Steve’s fears.  
‘Oh my God,’ Steve said as he tried the radio once more. ‘Rumlow, I'm telling you… Sitwell, I know you can hear me! Turn around now! Get out of there!’  
Steve and Bucky could only watch as the twister shifted course; turning right into Rumlow’s path. Bucky flinched as they saw it: a radio tower thrust out of the twister and rammed straight through the windshield of Rumlow’s van before the whole thing was lifted into the air, sucked up into the tornado. Steve gripped the steering wheel as they watched the van orbiting the edge of the twister, getting higher and higher before crashing back to the ground; exploding into a fireball at the edge of the tornado base.  
Anger shot through him as Steve slammed the radio down.  
‘Damn it! Stupid!’ Steve said.  
If they’d only listened, they could’ve had a chance.  
‘We tried. There was nothing we could do.’ Bucky said; not looking at Steve.  
Steve grit his teeth. A new determination flared inside him - they had to make this work. As much as he hadn’t liked Rumlow, no one deserved that. He would make sure they succeeded so their deaths were not in vain.  
‘Yes there is.’

‘Barnes? Rogers? Ground speed is increasing. Get ahead of it as fast as you can or she's gonna bury you!’ Sam announced over the radio.  
Steve pressed down on the gas; the tornado’s growls following them, getting ever closer as they hurtled along the highway, trying to get ahead of the debris.  
‘Debris! We have debris!’ Bucky yelled as a tractor was thrown across their path, crashing into the field beside them.  
‘DEBRIS?!’ Steve replied, sarcastically.  
Cars, tractors, road signs and god-knows what else was flying through the air; the F5 picking up and spitting out everything in its path. The debris was everywhere. Bucky did his best to direct Steve as it all fell all around them.  
‘RIGHT!!’  
Steve swerved right.  
‘LEFT!!’  
Steve swerved left.  
‘RIGHT!!’  
Steve swerved right again; barely missing another tractor in the middle of the road.  
‘LEFT!!’  
Steve swerved left again. A pipe scraped along their windshield, adding more cracks to the already smashed up glass. A tire bounced across the windshield.  
‘What now?’ Steve asked.  
‘I have no idea,’ Bucky replied breathlessly.  
‘Bucky, Steve, you still with us?’ Clint asked.  
Suddenly a house came rolling across the road; coming to a stop on its side right in front of them.  
‘Oh my God.’  
‘I think we're goin' in!!’ Steve said; gripping the wheel tightly and preparing himself for impact.  
There was no time to swerve. Bucky swore loudly as they crashed through the house; the truck ramming through walls. Steve held on tightly, trying to keep control of the truck as it crashed against furniture before rocketing out the other side and slamming back onto the road.  
His heart rate was through the roof as he turned back to look at the house they’d just drove through.  
‘Maybe we should get off of this road,’ Steve said dryly.  
‘I think you may be right.’  
‘Steve, Bucky, you all right?’ Clint asked.  
‘Yes. You guys set up?’ Bucky asked.  
‘We’re set. Goin' in?’  
‘We’re goin’ in,’ Bucky confirmed.  
‘You ready?’ Steve asked.  
‘I'm on it.’  
‘Be careful.’  
Bucky gave Steve what he hoped was a reassuring smile before sliding open the back window of the truck and crawling through. Dorothy 4 was loaded up in the back: their last hope. Bucky made light work of the switches and the lights flared into life. He quickly checked the fastenings, then crawled back inside.  
‘She's up.’  
‘Okay.’  
Steve turned off into a cornfield, ploughing through the long stems; the green of the corn leaves stark against the black twister up ahead. It was so vast; an impenetrable wall of darkness waiting to swallow them up.  
‘You ready?’ Bucky asked.  
‘Yeah, let me just set the cruise control.’ Steve said; reaching for the switch. ‘Okay we're good.’  
‘On three?’  
‘On three. Go.’  
Together they opened their doors and stood on the ledges of the truck that was still ploughing ahead steadily at 50. Bucky held the door steady as the corn pushed it back as they drove through.  
‘Ready?!’ Steve yelled over.  
‘Ready!’  
‘One.. two.. three!’ Steve shouted.  
Bucky leapt from the truck, landing hard on the ground. The truck had left a path of flattened corn; a straight line leading right into the twister. Steve had landed on the opposite side of the path. They crawled towards each other, both transfixed on the truck which carried Dorothy 4 as it grew closer and closer to the twister.  
Bucky clung onto Steve as they got to their feet; eyes still fixed on the truck.  
‘Go, go, go…go go!’ Bucky said his hand rising up as the truck inched closer. The release mechanism on Dorothy 4 clicked over and the lid opened, releasing the sensors. Just as Bucky had thought, the wind caught the wings instantly; the sensors flying straight out and up into the twister; sparkling against the darkness.  
‘Yes! Yes!’ Bucky cried as they watched the last sensors disappear and the truck swallowed by the darkness.

Far behind them, the team watched as their computer screens jumped into life; the sensors relaying information back in seconds. The main screen showed the sensors shaping up through the funnel, giving them data they could have never imagined.  
‘Dorthoy’s flying! She’s flying!’ Clint shouted; excitedly.  
‘They did it!’  
‘Look at these readings!’ Natasha said; grinning at Sharon who hurried over.  
The team all huddled around the screens excitedly, taking in the information relayed back at them. Suddenly, they all grew quiet.  
‘You guys, it's about to shift northeast,’ Sam said; standing up straight and looking over to the twister.  
‘STEVE, BUCKY, YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THERE, YOU COPY?!!’ Clint yelled, into his headset.

Bucky and Steve were still stood watching the twister, in awe at what they had done. Suddenly it changed direction; ripping the corn up right ahead of them. It was coming right for them.  
‘Oh shit! RUN!!’ Steve cried; grabbing Bucky and making a run for it.  
Bucky ran as fast as he could; Steve right beside him. He couldn’t see where they were going; the corn so thick and tall all around them. It finally thinned and then they were out.  
‘The barn, c’mon'!! Look out!’ Steve yelled; steering Bucky towards the barn.  
The farm was skirted by a picket fence and they ran along beside it, searching for a way in. As the twister roared behind them, the fence boards were plucked free one by one behind them. Bucky could see a couple of horses on the other side of the fence fleeing the oncoming tornado as well. Finally Bucky saw an opening in the fence, throwing himself to the ground as he crawled through the broken boards.  
‘STEVE, HERE, HERE!! STEVE, COME ON, HURRY!!’ Bucky shouted; his voice barely audible over the loud roar of the twister. ‘TO THE BARN!!’  
Steve squeezed himself through the gap; his shirt catching on the broken wood. Steve tugged it free and he scrambled to his feet. Together they both run full pelt to the barn. It wasn’t far but it felt like miles away. Fence boards slammed and stuck into the barn walls as they reach the door. Steve wrenched it open and ushered Bucky inside slamming the door shut behind them.  
Sickles, knives, and saws hung from the ceiling. It looked like they’d just run into a psychopath’s lair.  
‘My god, who are these people?!’ Bucky cried as the barn began to sway slightly.  
The various blades clinked together, ominously.  
‘I don't think so!! C’mon! Let's get out quick!!’ Steve said; grabbing Bucky.  
Keeping low as the fence boards hurtled through the window smashing into the barn, they ran through and then out of the side. Turning back, Bucky watched in horror as the twister tore into the barn.  
‘Oh my god. C’mon, Bucky. Run!’ Steve yelled.  
Running again; they yelled to each other but most of it couldn’t be heard over the wind; the deafening sound swallowing every word. Bucky forced himself not to look back again and to just keep running. He could hear it coming up behind them; earth shatteringly loud and all consuming; ripping apart everything it came up against.  
‘Duck!’ he heard Steve shout.  
Bucky hit the ground just in time to see the barn roof soar over them. His heart hammered in his chest as he got too his feet again. They couldn’t outrun it. They had to get somewhere safe. The only thing up ahead was a small shed: the pumphouse. Bucky pressed on, Steve right behind him.  
They ran hard, ducking and weaving as debris flew all around them. Bucky couldn’t see a thing as his hair whipped in his face. It didn’t matter - he just had to keep going.  
Eventually they reached the pumphouse. Steve grabbed the door, pulling but it wouldn’t open. The wind was so strong now, Bucky almost got pulled away; Steve grabbing onto him at the last second and pulling him back in to what little shelter the pumphouse gave them.  
‘COME ON!’ Steve shouted, giving the door another firm tug.  
It finally opened.  
‘BUCK, GET IN!’  
Finally inside Bucky, pushed his hair back from his face and looked around. The well was a "U" shaped pipe coming up out of the ground.  
‘Here! These pipes go down at least 30 feet. We anchor to 'em, we might have a chance!’ Steve said, inspecting the pipes.  
Bucky looked around again then spotted some straps hanging up.  
‘Steve! Use these!’ Bucky said.  
Steve grabbed a strap; tying it through itself so it was secured onto the pipe, leaving a loop for them to get into.  
‘Yes come on, get in!!’ Steve said; ushering Bucky.  
Bucky crouched down, slipping the leather strap around himself. He watched as Steve quickly grabbed another strap, securing it onto the pipe and slipping through the loop tethering himself down.  
‘Hold on!!’ Steve said as they both crouched down and hung onto the pipe.  
Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky; holding him close. Fear welled up inside Bucky as the sound of the twister grew louder and closer, caging them in; Steve’s strong arms around him the only thing grounding him. Bucky readjusted his grip on the pipe.  
Barely a second later, the walls and roof were lifted away and only Bucky, Steve, and the pipe remained.  
‘HANG ON!!’  
The tornado loomed overhead, its growls filling the air. The wind was impossibly strong; stronger than he could have ever imagined and Bucky felt himself lift off the ground; Steve right beside him as they were both lifted into the air. The wind whipped them up and Steve let go of Bucky so he could hold onto the pipe better. Bucky held on as hard as he could; the straps thankfully holding strong.  
They both looked up. They were right in the middle of the twister.  
Bucky was awestruck as the twister surrounded them; the noise smothering them. He was barely aware of his hands holding tight onto the pipe as his feet lifted up above him. He stared up at the light at the top of the twister; a disk of bright blue. Lightning circled around the light.  
He felt weirdly calm in the unearthly feeling as he floated in the wind. All around him was the dark smoke-like wall; hurtling past with its animalistic growl. It was the sound that always got to Bucky: the unrelenting roar. It was unlike any other sound; deafening and unrelenting; smothering them as it circled.  
That sound would always haunt Bucky. It had ever since he was a child - not the feeling of the wind rushing against him; only the sound. Bucky could feel Steve beside him; bumping into him as they flew.  
Steve.  
He felt the edge of Steve’s hand pressed against his own; that tiny bit of skin the only thing connecting them. It was all Bucky needed, grounding him. Steve was there. He was there with Bucky. If this was the end at least he got to see Steve again. He wished they had more time; that he could tell Steve that he still loved him. That he’d always love him.  
Bucky could feel his fingers growing numb. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on. He felt Steve’s hand shift slightly beside his; readjusting his grip; holding on. Bucky did the same. He had to hold on. He had to.  
How long they floated there, Bucky didn’t know. It could have been seconds or a lifetime. Time didn’t seem to exist in the swirling winds; the light flashing all around them and the piercing blue sky above shining like a halo.  
Then it was over.  
Bucky and Steve dropped to the ground as the clouds, the lightning, and the twister blew away. They were sat under the pipe; still tied onto it with the straps. Bucky pushed his hair back, looking all around but there was no sign of the tornado. It was gone.  
‘You okay?’ Steve asked.  
‘Uh yeah. I think so,’ Bucky said, looking over at him.  
Steve’s blue eyes were fixed on him - they were the exact same colour as the sky had been through the funnel of the tornado, Bucky noted. That’s why he’d been so transfixed on it. Bucky let out a little laugh. He couldn’t believe they were sat there; that they’d made it through. The pipe was leaking, spraying water all over them but he didn’t care. Bucky closed his eyes, letting the water spray over him. They had survived.  
‘Oh would you look at that. It didn’t take the house.’ Steve said.  
Bucky opened his eyes and looked over to where the farm house still stood. He could just make out a family coming out of the storm cellar; the horses running free beyond that.  
The sound of music filled the air as the team’s trucks pulled up on the road down from them.  
‘We did it.’ Bucky said, turning back to Steve; still barely believing it.  
They had actually done it.  
‘Yeah, we did. Dorothy really flew.’ Steve replied, grinning.  
They were so close. Bucky could’ve counted the tiny freckles that dusted Steve’s nose, under the light blush across his cheeks. Bucky could have just leaned in…  
‘It was a good idea,’ he said; forcing himself not to think about kissing Steve.  
‘Yeah, well I…’  
‘We've got so much to do,’ Bucky said as he began to really think about what it all meant: what this would lead to; where they would go from there.  
‘Yeah.’  
‘I've got to get grant approvals for a new warning system; we need a bigger lab; you've got to do an analysis of all that data…’ Bucky said, his mind slipping into overdrive again.  
‘I do?’ Steve said looking at him, eyebrows raised.  
‘Yeah, we've got to generate models out of all this data and I need to run the lab…’ Bucky told him.  
‘Oh, no, no. You're doing the analysis. I'm running the lab.’  
Bucky let out a short laugh.  
‘You're running the lab? I don't think so!’  
‘I'm running the lab! God, do you always have to do things the hard way?’ Steve said, rolling his eyes and sounding a little exasperated, but he was still smiling at Bucky.  
He reached over tucking Bucky’s hair behind his ear. He was so close…  
‘You got it guys, the sensors worked! The computers went crazy! We've got data coming out of our ears!’ Sam announced as the team finally reached them.  
They were all buzzing with excitement; Aunt Peggy’s dog barking happily as it trotted along at Clint’s feet.  
‘Biggest twister ever recorded!’ Natasha said; sounding a little proud.  
‘Awesome, man!’ Clint said, beaming at them.  
‘Hey, Bucky, Steve - check out that sky!’ Scott added, pointing behind them.  
‘You know what? I think we've seen enough!’ Bucky said grinning at Steve.  
He leaned over, Steve smiled at him warmly. They had done it and they had done it together. Steve had been there. He thought back to the divorce papers he’d left in the truck, signed and ready. Steve had never asked for them. Even after Melissa had left, he’d had the chance. Instead he’d chosen to stay with Bucky.  
Whatever happened after this didn’t matter - they’d made it through together. Steve had said the words to him only yesterday… to the end of the line. Looking at Steve now he could feel it; what those words had meant; what he hadn’t dared to believe. Closing the gap, Bucky pressed his lips against Steve’s. It felt warm and like home.  
They had all the time in the world for the looking at the sky.

**Author's Note:**

> As always you can find my on tumblr [here](http://raisedinthunder.tumblr.com)


End file.
